TV scheduling aims to gain the largest possible audience to demonstrate that public funds from the TV license are not being wasted. The BBC schedules fewer game shows with huge prizes compared to ITV, which funds programming through advertising. Programs are sometimes delayed a few minutes so viewers will catch the end of the previous show and be more likely to watch it again. Channel loyalty no longer exists due to audience fragmentation from digital television. Common scheduling techniques include pre-echo scheduling, inheritance scheduling, and hammocking, which aim to benefit new programs by placing them near popular existing programs.

1. TV Scheduling

2. TV scheduling is all about getting the biggest
possible audience. It is more important that the
BBC gain a really large audience, so that they can
show that they are not wasting money from the
licence fee payers. This is also why there is not
many game shows on the BBC that have huge
prizes, because the prizes will be paid for from
the audiences money. Where as ITV get all their
money from advertising and sponsors.
Also a lot of programmes start a couple of
minutes late so that people who tune in for the
programme will catch the end of the last one and
hopefully be interested in watching it the next
time its on.

3. Channel loyalty
On the BBC in 1970’s the would be a whole
series of programmes one after the order for a
certain amount of times and people where
expected to stay with that channel all night.
However channel loyalty does not exist
anymore because of audience fragmentation,
which is caused by digital and satellite
television.

4. Types of TV scheduling are:
Pre- echo scheduling
This is where a programme will be scheduled
before a popular programme or a established
programme. The hope is, the audience will
tune in before the start of the
popular/established programme and catch the
end of the new programme and hopefully
something will interest them and make them
want to watch it next week.

5. Inheritance
This is where a new programme is scheduled
after a popular or established programme in the
hope that again it will inherit all or some of its
audience
Hammocking
For this one, the new programme will be
scheduled between two popular/established
programmes in the hope that it will benefit from
both pre-echo and inheritance.