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Media Buying
Daypart
The specific time segments into which a broadcast day is divided for the purpose of selling advertising time (e.g., Morning Drive, Midday).
What is Daypart?
Dayparts slice the broadcast day into commercial blocks with distinct audience profiles and pricing tiers. Standard radio dayparts are Morning Drive (6–10 AM), Midday (10 AM–3 PM), Afternoon Drive (3–7 PM), Evening (7 PM–midnight), and Overnight. Each has a characteristic listener mix: Morning Drive skews heavily toward commuter adults; Midday lifts in-office and retail listening; Afternoon Drive rebuilds commuter audience.
Pricing follows demand. Morning Drive and Afternoon Drive are the two 'prime' dayparts in virtually every market and command premium rates. Midday is a value daypart: lower rates, still meaningful in-office audience, strong for retail-focused advertisers. Understanding daypart dynamics is the first thing any media buyer or broadcast seller masters.
Why it matters
Pricing fluctuates wildly by daypart; morning drive traditionally commands the highest premium due to a massive, captive commuter audience.
Optimise daypart mix with Spotwise
Spotwise shows which dayparts competitors are buying: and how to position your inventory against their patterns.