What does TRT mean in TV?

TRT stands for Total Running Time. It refers to the total duration of a TV program or commercial spot including all commercial breaks.
The TRT allows TV networks and advertisers to plan the program and commercial inventory. It determines how much actual program content can fit within the allocated TRT slot after accounting for advertising.

Some key points about TRT:

• It is generally measured in minutes and seconds (e.g. 60 seconds for a 1-minute spot)


• TRT encompasses the runtime of:
  
  
  
  
  • The program content
  
  
  • Internal promotional spots
  
  
  • Sponsor messages
  
  
  • Commercial breaks
  
  


• For programs, the ratio of program content to advertising is accounted for when determining TRT


• Advertising spots are usually sold based on TRT

Factors Determining TRT:

• Nature and format of program:
  
  
  
  
  • 30-minute sitcom vs 60-minute drama vs 120-minute movie
  
  


• Commercial load and breaks:
  
  
  
  
  • Number and length of internal commercial splits
  
  


• Promotional spots and sponsor messages

TRT in Different Program Formats

There are some general conventions for TRTs in different standard program formats:

• 30-minute programs
  
  
  
  
  • TRT: 30 minutes
  
  
  • Typical breakdown - 22 minutes program, 8 minutes commercials
  
  


• 60-minute programs
  
  
  
  
  • TRT: 60 minutes
  
  
  • Typical breakdown - 42 minutes program, 18 minutes commercials
  
  


• 120-minute movies
  
  
  
  
  • TRT: 120 minutes
  
  
  • Typical breakdown - 92 minutes movie, 28 minutes commercials
  
  

However, these can vary depending on the specific network and program.

TRT Planning

TV networks plan TRTs weeks or months in advance for their program schedules. Advertising spots are sold based on these pre-determined TRTs.

Accurately sticking to the pre-planned TRT during the actual program broadcast is critical for both the network and advertisers. Even small variations can disrupt scheduled advertising pods. Networks have special staff to monitor TRT compliance during broadcasts.

Here are some common TRT compliance methods:

• On-air countdown timer visible to host/producers


• TRT timer graphics overlayed on camera outputs


• Producer/director verbal cues to stretch or wrap-up segments


• Supplemental 'buffer' segments that can be added/removed to maintain TRT

TRT in Commercial Planning

In advertising, 30-second and 60-second commercials dominate. But other TRT lengths are also used:

• 5/10 seconds - Quick brand messages


• 15 seconds - Typically younger skewing brands


• 120 seconds - Big brand messages

When planning TRTs for advertising, additional factors beyond just the video content length need consideration:

• Lead-in/lead-out tones: Alert stations when to start/end the spot


• Slates: Internal identification codes


• Bars and tone - Video/audio signals to calibrate broadcasting equipment
  
  Advanced metadata systems can now auto-insert these technical cues around the core video content as needed by the station. This makes it simpler to plan and traffic spots using just the main TRT video length.

While buying ads, marketers mainly focus on selecting the optimal TRT length for their campaign creative strategy. The lead-ins/lead-outs and other technical parameters are handled downstream during trafficking by the networks.

So in summary, TRT or Total Running Time signifies the complete duration of any program or advertising spot on TV, encompassing both content and non-program elements. It is a vital planning parameter for networks to layout programming schedules and advertisements. Accurately conforming to planned TRTs is critical for both broadcasters and advertisers.