A Gold Mine in Attack Ads on Local TV

There has been a nationwide surge in TV ad spending for the midterms, which one group projects could top out at $3 billion this year, up from $2.7 billion in 2008. The victims, so to speak, are the local businesses whose ads are drowned out by the political din and the viewers who quickly tire of seeing the same attack ads over and over.

Local broadcasters have long grown accustomed to the every-other-year surge in political spending, and the slumps in the off years. What is different for stations is the amount this year, and the economic circumstances. Local stations across the country suffered mightily in 2009 when there was retrenchment from advertisers, especially from those in the automotive category. The recovery is in part because of a remarkably active election season. Discontent with incumbents and with Obama administration have put scores of formally safe seats into play, opening a spigot of campaign cash in local markets that are not accustomed to it.