Even though it’s a midterm election, which gets lower turnout and eats up less cash than presidential ones, TV ad spending is estimated to rise from $2.7 billion to $3 billion. This means local television stations have been able to make a killing — an NBC affiliate in Waco has been able to raise prices for 30 seconds of ad time during the 10 p.m. newscast (remember, central time!) by 40 percent. That’s only $500, but still!
The bigger problem is that all the political sparring means that regular people selling regular things are shying away from the airwaves. “People get so focused on the negative advertising that it spurs them not to make a buying decision,” said a Hyundai dealer. Everyone: to the Hyundai dealership on Wednesday!
