Political media buys see record highs locally, nationally

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Gaining political clout is costly in the Ozarks, as it is around the country.|ret||ret||tab|

While political party financial disclosure reports aren't due to the Missouri Ethics Commission until Dec. 5, local television and radio stations report more than $4 million spent in political ads during primary and general elections this year. |ret||ret||tab|

Nationally, candidates, parties and issue groups in the top 100 markets in the United States, including Springfield, spent a record $1 billion in political advertising double the $499 million spent in 1998 and about 25 percent greater than the $771 million expended during the 2000 presidential election year, according to Campaign Media Analysis Group, which tracks political advertising on television. |ret||ret||tab|

Local stations cite the U.S. Senate race between Jim Talent and Jean Carnahan, which turned Missouri into a battleground state, as well as several heated issues on the ballot for the increased sales revenues. |ret||ret||tab|

Although many station managers say it was a record mid-term year for political media buys at their respective stations, it's not the financial windfall it appears to be, they say. |ret||ret||tab|

"In essence, it's not just added revenue, because we have a finite amount of advertising," said Mike Scott, general manager at KYTV, which reported a local high of $2.4 million in political ads. |ret||ret||tab|

"The political ads actually displaced our local and national advertising. While there is a moderate increase in revenues during this period, certainly this money can't all be counted on top of what normally comes in." |ret||ret||tab|

But most stations said the politics-based revenue did exceed projections. |ret||ret||tab|

Scott said KYTV pulled in double what was expected, as it ran nearly half of the political spots aired in the Springfield market. According to the CMAG report, of the 9,806 political ads aired locally this year between the three major affiliates NBC, CBS and ABC 4,645 spots were on the NBC-affiliated KYTV.|ret||ret||tab|

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Fighting for finite time |ret||ret||tab|

While such high-profile political figures as former President Bush was touting Republican Senate candidate Talent over incumbent Carnahan, advertisements from the two candidates battled on the airwaves. So did a slew of others, clogging the space available in the market. |ret||ret||tab|

Most stations sold out of airtime during the news and prime time hours at least a couple of weeks before Election Day. As demand increased, so did the prices. |ret||ret||tab|

"By the last week it was tough to find anything to buy," said Jim Thompson of Thompson Communications, a Republi-can Party operative. "The things that you were buying, you were having to pay a premium price to get in." |ret||ret||tab|

A few of the highest reported prices include more than $3,000 a 30-second spot commanded during an episode of "CSI," KOLR's highest rated show, and $2,000 for a Monday Night Football spot on KSPR Nov.4.|ret||ret||tab|

"It got pretty ridiculous towards the end," said Jim Lewis, partner of Meridian Creative Alliance, which handled the media buys for Greene County Presiding Commissioner Dave Coonrod's campaign. "It's a matter of availability and supply and demand. I think (the stations) get put into a position where if somebody is willing to pay the price, I guess they could charge whatever they want. It's capitalism." |ret||ret||tab|

According to federal regulations, broadcasters are required to offer airtime to federal candidates at the lowest unit rates, which means granting them most favored client status, said Donna Baker, market manager for Clear Channel Communica-tions. Baker added that in the week prior to elections, 50 percent of the spots in any given hour on her Clear Channel stations were political. |ret||ret||tab|

Such tight scheduling and preferential treatment of candidates meant traditional advertisers were often bumped. |ret||ret||tab|

"We were having to pre-empt local advertising to accommodate political advertising," said Rex Hansen, general manager of Journal Broadcast Group. |ret||ret||tab|

Hansen said his stations were even forced to turn away some advertising dollars from issues groups because airtime was at capacity. Stations are not required by law to grant issue ads airtime. |ret||ret||tab|

He said of the $135,000 of political ads run on his stations, $80,000 worth was purchased in the last month of campaigning. The advertising blitz left many stations' employees scrambling to find time for the candidates. |ret||ret||tab|

"Our (ad) department ... probably felt like accountants feel on April 15," said Rick McCoy, station manager at Midwest Family Broadcast Group. "They basically had political hangover come Wednesday (Nov. 6)." |ret||ret||tab|

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TV dollars statewide |ret||ret||tab|

Springfield's television market ranked fourth in the state in political ad dollars, according to data from CMAG. TV stations serving Missouri made $34.7 million from the 2002 campaigns. |ret||ret||tab|

Television ads in St. Louis totaled more than $14 million, while the Kansas City market reaped nearly $13 million. The Cape Girardeau/Paducah, Ky., market topped $4 million to edge out Springfield as the third highest market, the report showed. |ret||ret||tab|

The average election television spot in Springfield cost about $350, compared to $750 in St. Louis and $675 in Kansas City. |ret||ret||tab|

Data from the campaigns of the state's biggest spenders, Jim Talent and Jean Carnahan, will not be available until the financial report is filed Dec. 5, according to their campaign managers. However, Carnahan's office reported spending $4.4 million for ads through Oct. 1. Historically, the majority of campaign funds are spent in television. |ret||ret||tab|

"It's a positive for TV," KSPR sales manager Lee Redick said of the elections. "I know a lot of people get tired of seeing political ads ... but it says a lot about television as being the most popular medium (for politicians)." |ret||ret||tab|

But things may change next election year, when money from unions and corporations is no longer available to fund federal campaigns. President Bush signed into law earlier this year the "Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002" that prohibits such soft money contributions, among other changes to campaign financing. |ret||ret||tab|

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