▁larger ▁mark ets ▁and ▁until ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s ▁in ▁smaller ▁ones ), ▁television ▁stations ▁now ▁fill ▁the ▁time ▁with ▁synd ic ated ▁programming , ▁r er uns ▁of ▁prime ▁time ▁television ▁shows ▁or ▁late ▁local ▁new sc asts ▁( the ▁latter ▁becoming ▁less ▁common ▁since ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ), ▁or ▁ 3 0 - min ute ▁advert is ements , ▁known ▁as ▁inf omer ci als , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁CBS ▁and ▁ABC , ▁over night ▁network ▁news ▁programs . ▁On ▁some ▁stations , ▁synd ic ated ▁programming ▁may ▁fill ▁times l ots ▁where ▁local ▁new sc asts ▁would ▁tradition ally ▁air , ▁either ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁station ▁not ▁programming ▁news ▁in ▁certain ▁time ▁periods ▁or ▁because ▁it ▁does ▁not ▁operate ▁a ▁news ▁department ; ▁similarly , ▁local ▁news ▁programs ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁evening ▁hours ▁may ▁air ▁during ▁the ▁final ▁hour ▁of ▁prime ▁time ▁( 1 0 : 0 0   p . m . ▁in ▁the ▁Eastern ▁and ▁Pacific ▁Time ▁Z ones ▁and ▁ 9 : 0 0   p . m . ▁in ▁all ▁others ) ▁and / or ▁during ▁the ▁morning ▁comm ute ▁period ▁( 7 : 0 0 ▁to ▁ 9 : 0 0 ▁or ▁ 1 0 : 0 0   a . m . ▁in ▁all ▁time ▁zones ), ▁usually ▁on ▁stations ▁affili ated ▁with ▁networks ▁other ▁than ▁those ▁class ified ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁" Big ▁Three " ▁( ABC , ▁N BC ▁and