Commercial Guidelines

Suppliers must deliver commercial content through digital distribution.

FTP, DVD or emailed file formats (e.g., WVM) are not accepted

• NBCUniversal requires only one file of a commercial file be electronically delivered, at least 5 working days before the first scheduled airdate.

• For spots bought on a rotating basis (e.g., Monday through Friday), the first day in the rotation is considered the effective airdate.

• Address packages to all networks in which it will air.

• HD commercials must include an “H” appended to the end of the AD-ID code (e.g., ABCD1234H).

• Limit to –2 dBFS

• Average of -24 LKFS* (+/-2 dB) of the full program mix (not only dialog) of the soundtrack

• Dialogue intelligibility is extremely important and must established and maintained for the duration of the content

• Use of a low frequency enhancement channel (LFE) is encouraged when considered appropriate by the sound designer

  • Some portion of the LFE signal should be mixed into the left and right channels to maintain the appropriate presence of this signal.

• NBCUniversal authors the audio metadata required for ATSC digital television transmissions

• ITU-R.BS.1770-based broadcast loudness meter for measurement. Minor variation of +/- 2dB about the -24 LKFS loudness average is anticipated and acceptable.  

• Don’t target content loudness to the high and low side of this range.

• All delivered content will be loudness normalized to meet this requirement, if necessary. This process shifts average loudness to -24LKFS with no impact to dynamic range.

  • Content delivered softer than Telemundo’s -24LKFS average loudness specification will be loudness normalized to a maximum specification of -24LKFS -2/peak. 

  • Delivered peak level of soft content may restrict normalization up to the -24LKFS target. 

• A tight tolerance surrounding the -24LKFS average is especially critical at the start and end of content or segments to establish smooth program to commercial transitions.

• Average soundtrack loudness of -24 LKFS, matching the Telemundo’s default dialog level metadata, is critical for proper operation of the dynamic range control system used for ATSC AC-3 audio.

NBCUniversal strongly encourages you to audition your content at the -24LKFS average dialog loudness.

If captioning is provided, record on Field 1, Line 21 on CC1 in compliance with the EIA 608 standard. Except for the use of CCI for closed-captioning, commercials for air may not contain any data embedded into or encoded onto the commercial audio or video without the  prior  written consent of NBCUniversal. Agency and/or Advertiser must notify NBCUniversal, reasonably in advance, of the existence of said content on any commercial. See 79.1 of the Code of Federal Regulations for more.

• NBCUniversal doesn’t support the use of audio or video watermarking or tracking technologies embedded in ancillary data space or otherwise included in the materials for exhibition/transmission.

• NBCUniversal takes no responsibility for the use of such technologies or their preservation in transmission to the audience.

• The FCC prohibits the transmission of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) codes or Attention Signal (853 Hz and 960 Hz transmitted simultaneously) or a recording or simulation thereof except in the case of an actual emergency or authorized EAS test.

• The rule applies to all forms of content, including programs, commercials and other paid programming, PSAs, promos and other interstitial material. The FCC hasn't defined what constitutes a prohibited simulation and has brought enforcement actions against sound effects other than actual EAS tones. Content containing EAS tones or simulations are not be accepted for broadcast. 

• Commercial assets are purge eligible from all systems 90 days from last air date or 90 days after received if it never aired.

• Commercial assets are not returnable.

• If for any reason you need to have a commercial removed or purged out of the NBCUniversal library, please send the notification to the appropriate contact for each network.

• NBCUniversal has one central library for all its TV and cable networks, therefore purging content for one network removes availability for all other NBCUniversal TV and cable networks.

• If a commercial cannot air due to legal reasons and must be pulled off the air immediately, please notify the appropriate network contact by email and by phone.

Each vendor has its own retention policy for materials. Please contact your vendor for this information.

Access Hollywood M-F (Strip)

❌

Access Hollywood

Yangaroo + Comcast + XR Extreme Reach + Javelin-ER SYN

Access Hollywood (Wknd)

❌

Access Hollywood

Yangaroo + Comcast + XR Extreme Reach + Javelin-ER SYN

Animal Adventure /Animal Exploration

❌

ER LA Syndication Services

ER-ER LA Syndication Services + Comcast-ER Los Angeles + Yangaroo + MynetworkTV + Javelin-ER SYN

Chicago Fire Weekly

❌

ER LA Syndication Services

ER-ER LA Syndication Services + Comcast-ER Los Angeles + Yangaroo + MynetworkTV + Javelin-ER SYN

PMI

All certified electronic delivery vendors accepted

Chicago PD Weekly

✅

PMI

All certified electronic delivery vendors accepted

Dateline Strip & Weekly

✅

ER LA Syndication Services

ER-ER LA Syndication Services + Comcast-ER Los Angeles + Yangaroo + MynetworkTV + Javelin-ER SYN

NBCU MOC: Englewood Cliffs Facility

Yangaroo + SpotGenie + On The Spot Media + XR Extreme Reach + Javelin-ER SYN

PMI

All certified electronic delivery vendors accepted

Karamo

❌

ER NY Syndication Services

Comcast + On the Spot Media + Javelin-ER SYN

NBCU MOC: Englewood Cliffs Facility

All certified electronic delivery vendors accepted

Kelly Clarkson

✅

ER LA Syndication Services

XR Extreme Reach + Comcast + On The Spot Media + Javelin-ER SYN

NBCU MOC: Englewood Cliffs Facility

Yangaroo + SpotGenie + On The Spot Media + XR Extreme Reach + Javelin-ER SYN

Law & Order: SVU Strip

✅

ER LA Syndication Services

ER-ER LA Syndication Services + Comcast-ER Los Angeles + Yangaroo + MynetworkTV + Javelin-ER SYN

NBCU MOC: Englewood Cliffs Facility

Yangaroo + SpotGenie + On The Spot Media + XR Extreme Reach + Javelin-ER SYN

PMI

All certified electronic delivery vendors accepted

Law & Order: SVU Weekly

✅

ER LA Syndication Services

ER-ER LA Syndication Services + Comcast-ER Los Angeles + Yangaroo + MynetworkTV + Javelin-ER SYN

NBCU MOC: Englewood Cliffs Facility

Yangaroo + SpotGenie + Synchro Services + On The Spot Media + XR Extreme Reach + Javelin-ER SYN

Maury Povich

❌

PMI

All certified electronic delivery vendors accepted

Murdoch Mysteries

Spots in HD only

❌

ER LA Syndication Services

ER-ER LA Syndication Services +  Comcast-ER Los Angeles + Yangaroo + MynetworkTV + Javelin-ER SYN

Yangaroo.com

All certified electronic delivery vendors accepted

Open House

❌

PMI

All certified electronic delivery vendors accepted

Steve Wilkos

❌

ER NY Syndication Services

Comcast + On the Spot Media + Javelin-ER SYN

PMI

All certified electronic delivery vendors accepted

Suits

❌

ER LA Syndication Services

ER-ER LA Syndication Services + Comcast-ER Los Angeles + Yangaroo + MynetworkTV + Javelin-ER SYN

❌

PMI

All certified electronic delivery vendors accepted

TMYK Block

✅

NBCU MOC: Englewood Cliffs Facility

All certified electronic delivery vendors accepted