# So whats up with those few couple frames that sometimes get between commericals.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-up-with-those-few-couple-frames-that-sometimes-get-between-commericals/483142>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 26, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-up-with-those-few-couple-frames-that-sometimes-get-between-commericals/483142 "2009-01-26T23:07:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-up-with-those-few-couple-frames-that-sometimes-get-between-commericals/483142/1 "2009-01-26T23:07:49Z")

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Every now and then while watching tv I see a second of another commercial between two others. What is the purpose of this? Is this just like a backup in case whatever mechanism is showing the commercials fails there will always be something on the screen? Is it just a software issue that no one cares enough about to fix?

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-up-with-those-few-couple-frames-that-sometimes-get-between-commericals/483142/2 "2009-01-26T23:15:23Z")

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What you’re probably seeing is a “local availability” commercial. The networks and syndicated shows generally run their own commercials, but they also give the local stations a couple of minutes each hour to sell. During that segment, the network or syndicator will run a public service announcement, promotional spot or a “pre-emptable” commercial to fill the space.

Since it’s next to impossible that the local commercial is exactly in sync with the filler material, you’ll usually see a glimpse of the filler material at the beginning or end of the commercial, or else a blank screen for a second or two.

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-up-with-those-few-couple-frames-that-sometimes-get-between-commericals/483142/3 "2009-01-26T23:16:14Z")

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Do you have cable? You’re probably seeing a slight timing-mismatch when the cable feed switches from a local ad to the underlying feed from the network. If the switch happens a second early, you’ll catch the last second of whatever ad the network was broadcasting at the same time.