Promo Glossary


ADUs:  Inventory provided by a TV station or network in order to meet an audience delivery guarantee.  In other words, ADUs are given to advertisers when a show under performs and does not get the ratings promised by the network. 

 

Channel Bug:  A channel bug is (usually) a persistent logo placed in one of the corners of a tv screen informing viewers of which station they are watching.  The bug can change sometimes vary by day-part or show on a given channel. 

 

Credit Squeeze:  This is when a network shrinks down the credit bed of a program in order to air additional show content or promotion in the reamining screen real estate.  This allows for extra promotion time on a channel, or extra show content for producers. 

 

Cross-Channel promotion:  Promos for programming on sister networks/channels.  These can come from a barter deal with the other channel, or through a mandate from a parent company. 

Cross-platform promotion:  Promos for non-television ancillary events or products (i.e. DVD sales, merchandise, video games, etc.).  These can also come from a barter deal or through a mandate from a parent company. 
 

D-Bump:     Abbreviation for "departing bumper". A short presentation element separating the end of a programme segment from the ad break. Sometimes contains a teaser e.g. a question related to the programme which will be answered in the EpBump after the break in order to retain viewers. The term derives from the bumpers on a car. See E-Bump.

 

E-Bump: Abbreviation for "entering bumper". A short presentation element separating the ad break from the start of a programme segment. The term derives from the bumpers on a car. See D-Bump.

 

End page:  Final few seconds of a promo that displays tune-in information for the program at hand, or internet destinations related to the show. 

 

Frequency:  The average number of times households or persons viewed a given program, station or advertisement during a specific time period, such as one month. This number is derived by dividing the Gross Rating Points (GRP) by the total non-duplicated audience (cume). For example, if a group of programs achieved 30 GRP's and a cume of 20, then the average frequency would be 1.5 exposures per person or household.  

 

GRPs (Gross Ratings Points):  A unit of measurement of audience size. It is used to measure the exposure to one or more programs or commercials, without regard to multiple exposures of the same advertising to individuals. One GRP = 1% of TV households. GRPs = Reach x Frequency 

 

Horizontal v. Vertical promotion: Graphical or interstitial promotion can (1) vertically promote a channel priority that is premiering later that day or night, or (2) horizontally promote a priority later that week/month.  For example, a channel will often use vertical strategies with their lower-third graphics, promoting a prime-time premiere.  During or after the premiere show, graphic messaging will switch over to a horizontal strategy, informing viewers of what is coming up in a given week or month.

 

Interstitial:  Short segments shown in between and/or adjacent to regular programming segments.  These can include promos, news pieces, IDs, interviews, etc. 

IDs:  Short promos, usually containing a channel logo and/or talent, that is used to reinforce the brand identity of a network.  In broadcast, IDs can be used to meet "station identification" standards set by the FCC, requiring broadcast networks on radio/tv to identify themselves hourly. 

 

Interstitial:  Short segments shown in between and/or adjacent to regular programming segments.  These can include promos, news pieces, IDs, interviews, etc. 

 

Inventory:  Number of 30second promo units available on a channel per hour/day/week etc. 

 

Lower-third:  General term used for in-show graphics heightening the editorial content of a program (i.e. sub-titles or location cards).  In promotion terms, it is a graphic, authored and scheduled by on-air promo teams, used to increase the frequency of a promo campaign, reinforce channel lineup/schedule, and remind viewers of tune-in information for a given show. 

Maps/Media Plans:  Quarterly/Yearly plans outlining the flight dates and weekly frequencies of a network's promotion priorities and interstitial requirements. 

Rating:  The percentage of a specific population group exposed to a single issue or broadcast.  A cable TV show with 2 rating points thus reaches 2 percent of the population.  A TV show with a rating of 2 for women 18-34 would reach 2% of all women 18-34 in the geographic area serving that program.

 

Reach:  (In media ratings) The unduplicated number of individuals or households exposed to an advertising medium at least once during the average week for a reported time period.