The nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity has found that 8,565 ads have run on broadcast TV for and against judicial, gubernatorial and legislative candidates in the state.
Earlier this year, national cable rep firm NCC Media cut an estimated $3 million deal with ESPN giving it more inventory to offer campaigns. NCC re-sells the space to politicians in college football and other popular programming. In a single slot, NCC can deliver geo-targeted ads to about 20 swing-state markets.
The Karl Rove-backed American Crossroads super PAC and Crossroads GPS nonprofit group spent more than $20 million in late September on TV and radio ads attacking President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats. The Crossroads ad buys are part of a wave of spending from conservative groups in the second half of September that swamped liberal outfits.
As of Friday morning, Toledo-area TV and radio stations had booked more than $7.8 million in advertising this year — and local channels have not yet heard from presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney. The biggest spender so far is Democratic President Obama, with $2.1 million in air time reserved or already spent on Toledo television.
Booking Time For An Unknown Candidate?
Does a station need to book a political ad buy for an agency purporting to be representing a candidate, but refusing to reveal who that candidate is?
