infomercial

An infomercial is a form of television commercial that resembles regular TV programming yet is intended to promote or sell a product, service or idea. It generally includes a toll-free telephone number or website. Most often used as a form of direct response television (DRTV), they are often programlength commercials (long-form infomercials), and 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 and early morning (usually 1:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.), outside peak prime time for commercial broadcasters. Some television stations chose to air infomercials as an alternative to the former practice of signing off, while other channels air infomercials 24 hours a day. Some stations also choose to air infomercials during the daytime, mostly on weekends, to fill in for unscheduled network or syndicated programming. By 2009, most infomercial spending in the United States occurred outside the traditional overnight. Stations in most countries around the world have instituted similar media structures. The infomercial industry is worth over $200 billion.

Washington, D.C.–based National Infomercial Marketing Association was formed in late 1990; by 1993, "it had more than 200" members committed to standards "with teeth".