Not the case in most cases. If you pay the highest amount you can bid the spots exactly as you want. A national spot on a major network is very very expensive. When you allow your spots to float in a time such as Prime Time or Mornings, etc. then it will fill in where the providers have spots around higher priced localized spots. You can learn this with a google search. Its kinda like hotels. Book exactly the flight and room you want in the Hotel and it is more than if you say "any room" and "any flight" on such and such a day. I suspect that they booked some specific spots to know that they could get clearance for Shark Tank etc. and padded that with a "whenever available" order which could run anytime. They have been very clear that it had to for whatever reason air during Shark Tank and or Mad Money before they would let it air anywhere else including their website.
You're correct you buy a specific spot and time you pay for that for X number of days/weeks etc. Then after that it is run at random times. I know this because I worked in marketing for a credit union and I had to research costs of radio, tv, online and print adverstising.
Don't believe the hype. You clearly have done your own DD listen to it.
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