• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, June 8, 2007

Katz Media Group has created a political sales and strategy unit for radio ad sales, the company announced Wednesday, in anticipation of the political ad revenue boom accompanying the 2008 elections.

2008 will be a banner year for political races: the White House, both houses of Congress, governorships, state legislatures, and numerous local offices are up for grabs. Before the elections proper, radio stations will also cash in on Republican and Democratic primary races, including fierce contests for both parties' presidential ticket. Stations in early primary states like Iowa and New Hampshire expect the money to start flowing as early as this August.

Stu Olds, Katz CEO, explained the radio rep firm's strategic leverage. He says the combination of KMG's 3,000+ represented radio stations provides "political advertisers with unparalleled access to customized demographic and lifestyle radio networks that can be purchased either in their entirety or on a state-by-state basis."

Political ad revenue for radio topped $280 million in 2006--a figure likely to increase as overall political spending grows.

The new Katz unit will be headed by Genelle Niblack. She has been named vice president and director of political sales and strategy. In a statement from Katz, Niblack pointed to the lucrative nature of the market: "Radio captured over 8% of the $3 billion total advertising dollars spent in the 2006 campaigns, and we anticipate higher numbers in the upcoming 2008 election year, in light of radio's 95% reach of the 18+ demo."