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Business Definition for: commercial time
commercial time
as prescribed by the National Association of Broadcasters , allowable amount of time per hour of programming that can be used by a radio or television station or network to broadcast commercials. For example, a network television station must adhere to the following schedule:
| Prime Time (8-11P.M.) | Non-Prime Time | |
| Network commercials | 6 min. | 12 min. |
| Station commercials | 1 min. 10 sec. | 2 min. 20 sec. |
| Other (such as promos or public service) | 2 min. 20 sec. | 1 min. 40 sec. |
Thus, during prime time , this station may air a total of 9 minutes and 30 seconds of commercials per hour of programming; during nonprime time, 16 minutes. Typically radio commercials are 60-second spots, and television commercials are 10-, 15-, 20-, or 30-second spots.
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