system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: What's happening when a commercial plays for a second or two before skipping to the next one?
gpt
The local cable companies are given windows where they can show their own advertising (Advertising specifically meant for that locality, not necessarily that the company is a local company).  If the cut wasn't clean, that means the local cable company blew it.