How do they decide which commercials come on?

Question

is it random, or carefully scheduled.

Answer 1

Advertisers pay have their commercials shown during a certain broad cast. Do you ever notice toys are shown during kids programs and  laundry detergent during  soap  operas when they feel women are watching?  I  remember watching  Nascar with my husband and every other commercial was for an auto parts  store.  Advertisers  pick their target audience based on what program is shown.  I  hope this answered your question.

Answer 2

scheduled, i think.  probably some times cost more (like in the middle of a show when the most people are watching, or the last commercial in a commercial break because people have tuned back to that channel after surfing and are waiting for the show to start).

so it's based on money.

Answer 3

Advertisers pay for a particular number of appearances during a particular show, or during a set block of time.  They may also pay extra to be the first or last commercial in a break, since you'll probably see part of the first commercial before you hit "fast-forward", and you'll probably remember the last commercial better if you watch them all.

The best example of this is the Super-Bowl - they don't just run any random ads, ad agencies pay top dollar (millions) for a spot during the Super-Bowl.  

The advertisers need to think demographically about who is watching which show, and which viewers are more likely to buy their product.  So you'll see more beer commercials during a baseball or football game, and more ads for feminine products on Lifetime or Oxygen.

The process may seem random, but it's actually carefully planned.  

Answer 4

Actually, a panel of "experts' pick the commercials for the show. The most obnoxious are saved for the last ad break. In my opinion, this has to be true.