Media Buying
TAP (Total Audience Plan)
An advertising schedule strategically distributed across all available dayparts to maximize total station audience exposure.
What is TAP (Total Audience Plan)?
TAP schedules ensure an advertiser reaches the station's full Cume by deliberately placing spots across every major daypart — Morning Drive, Midday, Afternoon Drive, Evening, and Weekend. Where ROS leaves placement to the station's discretion, TAP is structured: a predetermined number of spots in each daypart, typically weighted toward drive time but always including the others.
TAP is the default recommendation for advertisers who want broad reach but also need daypart presence confirmation. It is more expensive than ROS because the placements are predictable, but cheaper than a pure Fixed Position plan. Most stations offer TAP as a named package with bundled pricing that sits between ROS and surgical buys.
Why it matters
Used to build massive overall Cume and general brand awareness rather than targeting a specific, niche demographic found only at certain hours.
Related terms
- AM Drive / PM Drive— The morning (typically 6 AM – 10 AM) and afternoon (typically 3 PM – 7 PM) rush hour broadcast periods.
- Fixed Position— A scheduled broadcast spot that is contractually guaranteed to air at an exact time or within a highly specific programming feature.
- Avail (Availability)— Unsold units of commercial time available for broadcasters to sell to prospective advertisers.
- Co-op Advertising (Co-operative)— An arrangement where a major product manufacturer financially subsidizes the advertising costs of a local retailer promoting their specific product.