Scheduling.

Scheduling.

Scheduling: Arrange or plan (an event) to take place at a particular time.

Scheduling allows tv shows to plan in advance when they are going to show their tv shows. The schedules are not just important for TV itself but for the audience to have a clear layout and plan as to what they can watch when. 

Scheduling is important when it comes to tv because they need to be made in order to fit the individual tv shows target audience. For example, popular soaps such as Eastenders and Coronation street are targeted at an older working class audience, which means that they have to be shown at a time when people get off work and are at home. However, a tv soap still has to compete with other tv soaps meaning that the schedule has to be based around when the audience will watch them. Television programmes have to predict which programmes viewers might watch in blocks (watching one show and going into another after the previous one is finished). By having a schedule based around when an audience will most likely watch a programme means that the show is getting as many viewers as possible. The aim in constructing the schedule is to secure the highest possible amount of viewer for each tv show on different channels and network. It could be a big issue if the scheduling is wrong as it wouldn't reach the correct target audience meaning that the show/programme won't get the viewers it needs to be successful.

Tv schedules are also based around advertisements. A lot of businesses will want to advertise their products/service during the advert breaks between popular tv shows. The advertising slots will be made months in advanced so that the tv network can make the most money. This links with scheduling because if the schedule is correct and can reach the majority of their target audience, advertisers will want to pay more money to get the slot where more people are likely to see the ad. With this money from the advertisements, the tv networks can make or buy more shows to put on their channel and gain an even larger audience, which will again generate more money.

Hammocking- Putting a new, or less popular show on between two popular shows, so that the viewers watching the first tv show watch the less popular or new tv show waiting to watch the next program.
Inheritance- Putting a new or less popular tv show after a popular program hoping that the viewers will stay on the channel and continue watching the new or less popular show.
Stripping- When a program is shown at the same time each day. This is often used for talk shows or shows like NCIS or Criminal Minds.