Daytime Television Programming

The most watched television programs (e.g., news, family television serials, entertainment programs) are generally concentrated into the evening hours. However, with the gradual expansion of television broadcasting, broadcast time during the day became a space for programs aimed at specific groups of viewers—such as children and young people (e.g., music shows, cartoons), women in the household (e.g., soap operas, cooking programs), and senior citizens (e.g., programs about health, documentary films)—as well as a time for specific genres of daytime programming. This entry discusses several of these daytime programming genres: morning television, educational programs, game shows, soap operas, and talk shows.