Radio programmers have followed the same commercial placement strategy for decades: Clear as much time as possible during individual quarter-hours by placing stopsets at the top (:00) and bottom (:30) of each hour. This creates the visual of an hourglass when graphed across a clock face—narrow in the middle, wide at the ends. Others favor the “bow-tie” strategy, positioning breaks at :15 and :45, splitting the hour into quadrants of uninterrupted content. The rationale behind both? Maximize the potential for rating credit by minimizing interruptions during critical listening windows. But what if that thinking is outdated? It is.
Optimize For Nielsen: Commercial Placement: The Hourglass And Bowtie Are Broken
