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On-air promos: turn a slot into a tune-in message
A beginner’s resource for the promotion schedule around a linear network show.
Follow the message through three versions
For this exercise, the promotion team starts with “premieres Monday,” changes to “tonight,” then moves to “next Monday.” Each version has its own house ID and valid window. One evergreen creative cannot safely carry every tune-in message.
| Creative | When to use it | Stop condition |
|---|---|---|
| PR-HS-LAUNCH-30 | Oct 26–Nov 1: premieres Monday at 8 ET | Replace on Nov 2 |
| PR-HS-TONIGHT-30 | Nov 2 before the 8 ET premiere | Kill when premiere starts |
| PR-HS-NEXT-30 | During E101, inviting viewers to Nov 9 | Kill on move or cancellation |
Reserve airtime before placing the creative
The fictional clock reserves two 30-second promo units in network inventory. The launch campaign also uses slots in other shows and lead-ins. A promotion scheduler chooses approved locations, while traffic protects sold units and local avails. If promotion takes a slot previously offered for sale, the inventory record must change before another sale is accepted.
Record campaign, show/episode, target feed, tune-in date/time/zone, creative ID, duration, validity, priority, frequency plan and approver. Check the final spoken and on-screen tune-in against the current schedule.
Full-screen promo or secondary graphic?
A 30-second promo replaces primary content and uses 30 seconds in the clock. A ten-second tune-in graphic over a program references the parent event and adds no primary airtime. The output system must support the graphic asset, timing and clear-down rules.
Measure whether the planned messages aired, then study audience response. A promo transmission does not by itself prove that a particular viewer tuned in.
Try it in the example
- Open the promo-plan CSV and identify the expired launch message.
- Find both next-episode promo slots in the teaching log.
- Change the next episode to Tuesday and list which audio, text, graphics, feed notices and scheduled placements must change.
- Use the cancellation checklist to stop every future tune-in message.
Sources & scope
- Disney linear advertising terms, dated April 30, 2021 ↗
- Pebble: automation and secondary events, 2023 brief ↗
Sources checked October 22, 2026. Vendor materials describe their own systems. Published contract examples are illustrative, dated and not universal terms. All Harbor Street records and policies are fictional.