<P> An infomercial is a form of television commercial , which generally includes a toll - free telephone number or website . Most often used as a form of direct response television ( DRTV ) , long - form infomercials are typically 28 : 30 or 58 : 30 minutes in length . Infomercials are also known as paid programming ( or teleshopping in Europe ) . This phenomenon started in the United States , where infomercials were typically shown overnight ( usually 2 : 00 a.m. to 6 : 00 a.m. ) , outside peak prime time hours for commercial broadcasters . Some television stations chose to air infomercials as an alternative to the former practice of signing off . By 2009 , most infomercial spending in the U.S. occurred during the early morning , daytime and evening hours . Stations in most countries around the world have instituted similar media structures . The infomercial industry is worth over $200 billion . </P>
<P> An infomercial is a form of television commercial , which generally includes a toll - free telephone number or website . Most often used as a form of direct response television ( DRTV ) , long - form infomercials are typically 28 : 30 or 58 : 30 minutes in length . Infomercials are also known as paid programming ( or teleshopping in Europe ) . This phenomenon started in the United States , where infomercials were typically shown overnight ( usually 2 : 00 a.m. to 6 : 00 a.m. ) , outside peak prime time hours for commercial broadcasters . Some television stations chose to air infomercials as an alternative to the former practice of signing off . By 2009 , most infomercial spending in the U.S. occurred during the early morning , daytime and evening hours . Stations in most countries around the world have instituted similar media structures . The infomercial industry is worth over $200 billion . </P>
when a company pays to sponsor a program on a non commercial station is called
when a company pays to sponsor a program on a non commercial station is called
infomercial
infomercial