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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTV Stations Accept Political Ad Cash -- and Leave Viewers in the Dark
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/09/24-6Published on Monday, September 24, 2012 by Free Press
TV Stations Accept Political Ad Cash -- and Leave Viewers in the Dark
by Timothy Karr
The political ad invasion is upon us. Its a toxic mix of half-truths and negativity thats beaming into homes across the county especially homes in battleground states like Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Media analysts project that campaigns, Super PACs and social welfare groups will spend a record-breaking $3.3 billion on political ads by Election Day.
For the local stations that air these ads, its a political goldmine. But whats a cash windfall for stations is a nuisance for tens of millions of viewers.
And lets consider these stations are they offering any local news coverage to debunk the lies in these ads? Are they exposing the deep-pocketed interests behind the groups buying ad time?
To find out, Free Press took a deeper look at local news coverage in five of the cities Charlotte, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Milwaukee and Tampa where ad spending has been highest.
We inspected the political files of stations in these markets, identified the groups most actively placing political ads and pored over hundreds of hours of local news transcripts. In all five of these markets, we found that local newscasts were lacking when it came to covering the ads that dominated their stations.
In other words, they provided no local stories exposing the special interests behind these ads, and only one station among the 20 surveyed devoted even a few minutes to investigating whether these ads told viewers the truth.
..more..
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TV Stations Accept Political Ad Cash -- and Leave Viewers in the Dark (Original Post)
G_j
Sep 2012
OP
We don't watch TV, but we've had both parties and every religious group I can think of
Egalitarian Thug
Sep 2012
#4
DiverDave
(4,886 posts)1. This, THIS is why we have the government we have
god damnit we need to take this crap OUT.
Just think of it, no lobbyists, no corporations getting breaks, NONE OF IT!!
But the gravytrain is too ingrained, it'll never go away.
WCGreen
(45,558 posts)2. It's bonanza time for their sale force because they don't have to beat the
bushes for ads...
How ever, the ads being placed have to at a "competitive" rate.
Local stations rarely cover politics unless there is a hugh scandal.
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)4. We don't watch TV, but we've had both parties and every religious group I can think of
at our door over the last month or so. The Mormons are especially active here and are pushing their robot hard, problem is that too many of us have dealt with them for years and justifiably despise them because of that.
Apparently they never heard Walter Winchell say, "Be nice to those you meet on the way up because you will meet them again on the way down". Thieving assholes.