Health Ads Could Send $700M To Stations

The television industry is anticipating an advertising bonanza related to the rollout of the federal health overhaul, with as much as $1 billion expected to be spent on ads by insurers alone, according a story in today’s Wall Street Journal. States are already running commercials to promote the online exchanges they are launching on Oct. 1 to allow people to buy coverage mandated by the Affordable Care Act. Insurance companies will also try to woo new customers shopping on those exchanges. TVB expects that about $700 million of the insurers' ad spending will go to stations. WSJ subscribers can read the story here.