# Why do TBS shows start at :05 past the hour? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 16, 2000, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tbs-shows-start-at-05-past-the-hour/19628 "2000-05-16T01:25:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![theuglytruth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@theuglytruth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theuglytruth)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2000, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tbs-shows-start-at-05-past-the-hour/19628/1 "2000-05-16T01:25:39Z")
Why does TBS always start it’s shows at 8:05, 9:05, 10:05 etc while everyone else in the known universe breaks up their programs right at the top and bottom of the hour? TBS has been doing this for years. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2000, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tbs-shows-start-at-05-past-the-hour/19628/2 "2000-05-16T01:29:25Z")
I think we covered this once before…I’d always heard that he did it so that when you got done flipping around the rest of the dial and saw there was nothing on, you’d see what was on his station and watch it because it had just started. ---
**Author:** ![JonF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@JonF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonF)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2000, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tbs-shows-start-at-05-past-the-hour/19628/3 "2000-05-16T01:38:38Z")
I read somewhere (I forget where) that it was done to get TBS’s listings all by themselves in an X:05 category in TV Guide. ---
**Author:** ![Squee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@Squee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squee)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2000, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tbs-shows-start-at-05-past-the-hour/19628/4 "2000-05-16T01:42:03Z")
**VogueVixen** is correct! This was covered in **Cecil’s Mailbag** (but not by Cecil)… [Why do WTBS shows start at :05 and :35 past the hour?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mwtbs.html) ---
**Author:** ![swisemankcmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@swisemankcmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swisemankcmo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2000, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tbs-shows-start-at-05-past-the-hour/19628/5 "2000-05-16T14:00:25Z")
A lot of WTBS’ shows during the daytime start flush on the hour (and some of 'em should be flushed). But once you get into early prime time “Turner Time” takes over. Shows you how old I am; I still call it **W** TBS. ---
**Author:** ![DVous\_Means](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@DVous\_Means](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DVous_Means)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2000, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tbs-shows-start-at-05-past-the-hour/19628/6 "2000-05-16T14:54:24Z")
Hey, we’ve got that problem in the land of Oz. But it’s confined to the three major free-to-air commercial networks. So far, the regional stations, the national government broadcaster, and pay-tv are relatively immune. The commercials make absolutely sure that at 6:00pm sharp, the news bulletin goes to air, so that they don’t get caught napping behind the other guys. But as the evening drags on, the completion times for programs become later and later. It’s not unknown to have the show scheduled for 8:30pm to actually start at 8:40. Sadly, they all do it, so the whole exercise has become a parody of itself. I’m waiting for the day one of them works out that they might attract more viewers by starting shows earlier than those of their rivals. ---
**Author:** ![saeren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@saeren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saeren)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2000, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tbs-shows-start-at-05-past-the-hour/19628/7 "2000-05-16T15:11:04Z")
It was my understanding that it was to increase ratings. TBS starts the lineup with a more popular show that you’re sure to watch to completion (a whopping 30 minutes). When the show’s over, you’re already at 5 past the hour. The shows on the other stations have already started, so you’re more inclined to stay on “Turner time”. At least, around here, on every other station, shows start on the hour or right at :30. Saeren “Eschew Obfuscation.” ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2000, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tbs-shows-start-at-05-past-the-hour/19628/8 "2000-05-16T19:10:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > **VogueVixen** is correct! > \*\* ::fainting dead away:: 😉 ---
**Author:** ![swisemankcmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@swisemankcmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swisemankcmo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2000, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tbs-shows-start-at-05-past-the-hour/19628/9 "2000-05-16T20:26:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > Hey, we’ve got that problem in the land of Oz. But it’s confined to the three major free-to-air commercial networks. So far, the regional stations, the national government broadcaster, and pay-tv are relatively immune. > > The commercials make absolutely sure that at 6:00pm sharp, the news bulletin goes to air, so that they don’t get caught napping behind the other guys. But as the evening drags on, the completion times for programs become later and later. It’s not unknown to have the show scheduled for 8:30pm to actually start at 8:40. > > Sadly, they all do it, so the whole exercise has become a parody of itself. I’m waiting for the day one of them works out that they might attract more viewers by starting shows earlier than those of their rivals. > \*\* It is starting to happen here to some degree. A few weeks ago the 8:00 airing of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (the Show that Ate ABC) ran past it scheduled end time of 9:00 about 10 minutes. Reason? “ER” was starting at 9:00 on NBC and ABC wanted to make sure that the WWTBAM audience tuned in to a show already in progress. And on your friendly local affiliates, they have played this for a long time the other way (starting the 6:00 show at 5:56, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![StrTrkr777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@StrTrkr777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StrTrkr777)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tbs-shows-start-at-05-past-the-hour/19628/10 "2000-05-17T00:15:21Z")
Well many years ago when a young buck named Ted Turner was starting out his little TV station, he had everything set and ready to go with his first airing of the Atlanta Braves. However, due to a production glitch the game did not get started until 7:05 pm. This of course threw off the very next show in the line-up and so forth and so on and he has never been able to correct this time differential. Jeffery ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tbs-shows-start-at-05-past-the-hour/19628/11 "2000-05-17T02:02:15Z")
Jeff, vv’s Mailbag link indicates it was deliberate and unrelated to the Braves.