Media Buying
Fixed Position
A scheduled broadcast spot that is contractually guaranteed to air at an exact time or within a highly specific programming feature.
What is Fixed Position?
A Fixed Position guarantees the advertiser that their spot will air in exactly the slot specified — 7:45 AM weather sponsor, 8:20 AM traffic report, mid-roll in the 6 PM sportscast. The station cannot bump or move the spot regardless of what higher-paying inventory might come along. In exchange, advertisers pay a premium rate — often 2× to 3× the equivalent ROS rate.
Fixed Positions are indispensable for sponsors who need program adjacency — the car-dealership sponsoring the traffic report; the pharmacy sponsoring the weather; the sports bar sponsoring the game recap. That contextual alignment multiplies the ad's effectiveness and justifies the premium, assuming the program genuinely delivers the audience being targeted.
Why it matters
Commands a heavy premium rate because the advertiser entirely removes the station's flexibility in managing overall inventory scheduling.
Related terms
- Pre-emption / Pre-emptible— The practice of a station replacing a scheduled commercial with another, usually because the latter advertiser paid a higher premium rate.
- ROS (Run of Schedule / Run of Station)— An advertising agreement where commercials are distributed randomly across all available dayparts and days.
- Adjacency— An advertising pod positioned immediately next to a specific, high-value program feature, such as a weather report or sports update.
- Remnant Inventory— Unsold advertising space that is typically sold at a steep discount at the last minute to avoid broadcasting dead air.