Supreme Court ruling should be boon for local TV stations

The combination of the U. S. Supreme Court ruiing eliminating bans on corporate advertising limits, combined with the close race between Seventh District Congressman Roy Blunt and Secretary of State Robin Carnahan for the U. S. Senate seat currently held by Kit Bond could end up being a gold mine for local television stations:

Media of all kinds may benefit from the decision, which promises to let more political advertising money be poured into the system. Most of that money finds its way to television, and in particular, local stations in battleground states.

“It’s a big opportunity” for stations, said Steve Lanzano, the president of the Television Bureau of Advertising.

Under the Supreme Court decision, corporations and unions will be free to spend money on attack ads in ways that were previously banned. “This takes an already bulked-up, well-funded election and puts it on steroids,” said Evan Tracey, the chief operating officer of the Campaign Media Analysis Group, a division of TNS Media Intelligence.

In the supply-and-demand marketplace of advertising, “it’s going to drive up rates” for local stations, he said. “There’s going to be a lot of people fighting over the same inventory.”