[jebartle]

Miss Gracie (Where everyone rides!) and that Dad-gum Newlin "Will be Back"

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by golfnut

why can't the rate for political be the same as the lowest for that hourly time slot for commercial, as opposed to 24 hours, i think i know the answer i'm just sayin'......gn

Actually that's exactly what's happening now. Like everything else, the stations are figuring ways to go around the ruling. They are creating time blocks and establishing low unit rates for those time blocks saying they never sell political ads outside those time blocks.

However, this is also happening. Just because they have to charge the lowest rate, that doesn't mean the candidate has to PAY the lowest rate. So the bigger the campaign budget, the better the position.

Candidate A wants to be in the "Today" show for a low unit rate of $200. But candidate B says "I want that same slot and I'll pay $250." They go back to candidate A and say, "Wanna pay $300?"

In ads for national office, the voice of the candidate must appear somewhere in the ad.

All broadcast and print ads must, by law, display in certain size type exactly who is paying for the ad.

JLK

I'm over simplifying this, its a nightmare. Also, there is never any credit extended to any political candidate, not even for president. It's cash up front or no airtime.

[2newyorkers]

Holiday commercials. Kays, Jarretts and Zales commercials until you want to scream!

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by golfnut

why can't the rate for political be the same as the lowest for that hourly time slot for commercial, as opposed to 24 hours, i think i know the answer i'm just sayin'......gn

Since you seem to have an interest in this (maybe mild) and apparently some understanding of it, I have a chance to talk about something I am fairly familiar with.

When an advertiser buys a big schedule he typically receives some "bonus spots." Commercials that are either free or very cheap. Those "bonus spots" run BTA (best time available). Most often, the best time available is in real crummy time slots (2a.m.). But sometimes, through cancellations or just plain lack of sales, the best time available happens to be in the "Today Show," or even the Super Bowl. It doesn't happen often, but it happens. So, it's entirely feasible that the lowest unit rate this year in the "Today" show was a bonus spot logged at $5. Boom, lowest unit rate for that time slot.

Many, Many ad agencies buy an ad "near" the super bowl, knowing that there could be a cancellation at the last minute and their cheaper spot could end up inside the super bowl itself. I have done it myself and the ads have ended up inside the super bowl.

Another trick is for crafty advertisers to call the station at 4:30 and ask, "are there any openings in the "Today" show tomorrow morning?" If the answer is yes, the advertiser will say, "I'll by all those openings for $20 each." $20 each is better than no dollars each and better than a $5 bonus spot. Boom..........the lowest unit rate for that time slot.


JLK