1. A method comprising: receiving a program and a national ad; recording the program and the national ad as the program and the national ad are being received; receiving a request to playback the program; identifying an age of the national ad based on a date and a time associated with the receiving and a date and time associated with the request; comparing the age of the national ad to a threshold time period; obtaining a replacement national ad in response to a result of the comparing indicating that the age of the national ad exceeds the threshold time period; and playing the replacement national ad at a time when the national ad is to be played.