By Shelly Harper, AVCA Media Consultant

My #1 goal is Make Volleyball more Prominent in the Media – nationally, regionally and locally.

This month’s edition is designed to help you understand “television and advertising speak”. Below is a glossary of terms frequently used in television and advertising. Some of them are from my own experiences and some are taken from “Advertising for Dummies.”

:10 a ten-second commercial
:15 a fifteen-second commercial
:30 a thirty-second commercial
:60 a sixty-second commercial

above the line personnel: Refers to talent (color analyst, sideline reporter, play-by-play announcer) and production team (producer, director, associate producer) in television.

ad/edit ratio: The ratio of advertising pages to editorial pages in a print medium (magazine or newspaper). An ad/edit ratio of 70/30 indicates that 70 percent of all pages are advertising and 30 pages are editorial.

adjacent: A television commercial that is scheduled immediately before or after a scheduled program. (Often referred to as an end break).

advertorial: A print advertisement styled to look like editorial content. Most publishers require that advertorials be labeled “advertisement” so that readers are aware that they are actually reading an ad.

affidavit: A notarized statement from a broadcast station that confirms the actual run time of a commercial or program. In order to collect funds, stations provide proof that what was ordered actually ran and at exactly what date/time. If a program or commercial was pre-empted, it will be listed on the affidavit.

Arbitron Company: A media research company that reports on audience levels of radio stations.

area of dominant influence (ADI): Arbitron Company’s definition of a TV market; an unduplicated geographic area in which stations have the highest share of viewing audience.

audience: The number of homes or persons exposed to a media or advertising message.

barter: The exchange of goods and services without the use of cash, such as treading media time or space for merchandise. Also known as trade. In television syndication, barter usually refers to a split of the commercial time available in the program for the program supplier and the station.

billboard: In broadcast, two to 10 seconds in length, given to an advertiser as part of an advertising package or sponsorship (usually in the beginning and end of a program – This program is being brought to you by XXXX). In outdoor media, an advertising structure.

block: A time segment of consecutive hours in a broadcast schedule. Program schedule consists of “like” programs within the block (such as outdoor, children’s, extreme, coaches shows).

bonus spot: A free television or radio commercial given to an advertiser for a missed spot or to make up for under-delivered audience, or as an inducement to buy additional spots.

brand: An identifying symbol, word, mark or combination of all, developed to separate one company’s product or services for another.

brand awareness: Consumers’ awareness of a product’s or service’s name and its attributes.

break: A break in the program between segments designated for commercials, public service announcements or station promotions.

broadcast: Any television program an individual without cable can receive over the air. (major broadcast stations are: ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, UPN, PAX)

cable-cast: Programming originated by the cable systems and fed directly to cable subscribers. (major cable stations are: ESPN, ESPN2, CNN, MTV, Lifetime, FOX News, The Weather Channel, FOX Sports Net, HBO, Showtime, Headline News, MSNBC)

call letters: A television or radio station’s identification (for example KIKK-FM, KPRC).

campaign: An advertising effort, potentially in several different media, for a product or service over a given period of time.

circulation: In print, the number of copies sold or distributed by a publication. In broadcast, the number of homes owning a television or radio within a station’s coverage area. In out-of-home media; the number of people passing an advertisement who have an opportunity to see it.

clutter: Many different commercials that compete for the viewers’ or listeners’ attention. In print, many different ads printed within a small amount of space.

cooperative (co-op) advertising: Retail advertising of branded merchandise, which is financed wholly or in part by the brand manufacturer or the regional distributor. The participation of two or more advertisers in a single advertisement or commercial featuring products or services of each. (example Wrangler Jeans at Target Stores)

cost-per-point (CPP): The cost of an advertising unit (example a :60 radio spot) divided by the average rating of a specific demographic group (for example, women 18-49). A unit that costs $1,000 and delivers a 10 women 18-49 rating has a CPP of $100.

cost-per-thousand (CPM): The cost per 1,000 people (or homes) delivered by a medium or media schedule. A media vehicle that costs $10,000 and has an audience of 500,000 men 18-49 has a CPM of $20.

coverage area: In broadcast, the geographical area reached by a station’s signal. In print, the geographical area covered by the publication’s circulation.

direct-response advertising (referred to as DR): Any form of advertising that requests a consumer to respond directly to the advertiser (for example, by calling a toll-free number to place an order). Most use different numbers for each station or market, so that they can track how the consumer viewed their ad.

designated market area (referred to as DMA): Designated market audience for a television or radio station. Area includes all locations within the strength of the signal. The larger the city the higher DMA rank.

format (or commercial format): A document used in television and radio that lists all the programs airing that broadcast day including a list of commercials and what time they are supposed to air.

full-service agency: An advertising agency that provides multiple services to an advertiser such as creative, market research, media buying, public relations and so on.

gross rating points (GRPs): The sum of all ratings delivered by a given list of media vehicles.

homes using TV (HUT): The percentage of homes tuned in to TV at a particular time.

identification (ID): A short, usually ten-seconds or less, commercial that identifies the station.

infomercial: A long-form (30 minute) broadcast commercial that provides much more information than can be supplied in a typical :30 or :60 spot. Most infomercials contain toll-free numbers so that consumers can contact the advertiser directly. The evolution of the infomercial has dramatically changed the way cable and broadcast stations build their program schedules. Stations can generate more revenue by scheduling blocks of infomercials than accepting traditional television shows on a barter basis. “Easy money”.

institutionals: Generally a :30 commercial or public service announcement for a participating school in the broadcast (usually at least one for the home team and for the visiting team).

log: A chronological listing created by television or radio stations detailing exactly what programs are to air and what time. Included within the programs are the commercial instructions for the commercial breaks. (also referred to as a traffic log)

outdoor advertising: A type of advertising found outdoors in public places. Refers to painted bulletins, posters, billboards, outdoor boards, outdoor panels.

package: A group of television or radio spots offered for sale at a lower price than spots that are sold separately.

penetration: The percentage of people (or homes) within a defined universe that are capable of being exposed to a medium. (Often cable TV is reported in these terms as there are still places that cable TV is not yet available).

public service announcements (PSAs): Community service announcements carried by stations free of charge. (Crime Prevention, Reading Initiatives, Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, etc….)

rating: The percentage of a given population group consuming a medium at a particular time. Generally used for broadcast television. For instance, to stay that a TV program has a 10 rating of adults 18-49 is to say that 10 percent of the adult population between the ages of 18 and 49 viewed an average minute of programming.

reach: The number or percentage of a population group exposed to a media schedule within a given period of time. For example, to say that a media schedule will produce a 50 reach is to say that 50 percent of the defined population group will be exposed to one or more advertising messages.

rotation: In broadcast, the running of commercials at different times each day within the time period ordered. In outdoor, moving a bulletin to a different location at stated intervals.

run of station (ROS): A tactic used in broadcast whereby commercials or programs are scheduled throughout the day and night at the discretion of the station, as opposed to specific time periods designated by the advertiser or program supplier.

sweeps: The period when local market television ratings are studied. Sweeps are issued four timers per year in all markets and more frequently in major markets. Some smaller markets do not order overnight ratings and depend solely on sweeps rating information.
November 2003 (3)(4) October 30 - November 26 All 210 DMA's
February 2004 February 5 - March 3 All 210 DMA's
May 2004 (7) April 29 - May 26 All 210 DMA's

traffic instructions: Written instructions given to a medium on how commercials or prints ads are to be inserted into the medium (usually details dates, times, commercial title and number).

For more information, please contact me at:  shelly@sharpermedia.net.

Media MVP is written by Shelly Harper of Sharper Media who was hired in July 2002 as the media consultant for the AVCA and its members. Harper has more than 20 years of experience in sports television and her broad background in this field can be read at www.sharpermedia.net. Harper can be reached at 936-582-2256 or via e-mail at shelly@sharpermedia.net if you have a question and wish to utilize her expertise in this area.