TV channels schedule their programming to target different audiences throughout the day and avoid direct competition. Key scheduling techniques include inheritance, pre-echo, and hammocking programs around popular shows to boost viewership. Channels also target different demographics, with BBC One aiming for mainstream audiences, BBC Two focusing on educated viewers, and Channel 4 targeting teenagers to 50-year-olds. Imported programs are typically shown on Channel 4 and 5 due to BBC's limited budget to acquire foreign shows.

1. TV Scheduling
Direct competitors
They don’t air big programmes at
the same time ie Coronation
Street and Emmerdale.
Channel Loyalty
If they get the audience in early more people are likely to stay with that
channel.
Channel loyalty no longer exists because there’s at least 40 channels and we
can use a remote
Key Techniques used in Scheduling
 Inheritance – scheduling a new programme after a popular programme
in the hope it will inherit some of the popular programme’s audience.
 Pre-echo – scheduling a programme before a popular programme. The
audience will tune in slightly early so they don’t miss the start of the
popular programme and see the end of a programme and it then tune in
the following week.
 Hammocking – putting something between two big programmes so they
get benefits from pre-echo and inheritance.

2. Schedule segments
Name Time Audience
Early Morning 5am-9am People who work
Daytime 9am-3pm Students, unemployed,
housewives, shift
workers
Prime Time 3pm-9pm Everyone
Late Night 9pm-5am Shift workers, students,
unemployed
Popular Genres
 Drama
 Factual/documentary
 Comedy
 Sport
 Soaps
 Game shows
 Reality
 Celebrity
Target Audiences
BBC One – mainstream
BBC Two – educated people
ITV1 – mainstream
Channel 4 – teenagers up to about 50
Channel 5 – mainstream

3. Imported programmes
Channel 4 and Channel 5 are the main channels that have foreign TV shows
because the BBC don’t have enough money to buy these foreign programmes.
Watershed
 After 9pm
 Can use swear words
 Sex scenes