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Radio Set To Cash In On Political Ads

According to the head of the Radio Advertising Bureau, overall political spending for the 2008 general election could total about $3 billion--Jeff Haley figures his medium should get about 10%, or $300 million, of it. That represents a major opportunity as well as a potential headache, considering Federal Communications Commission political ad rules.

But the RAB is now offering an overview of how to take advantage of free-spending politicians without stepping on regulatory landmines. "The biggest mistake stations make is not hiring a qualified attorney," says NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton. "You need to know what you are doing when you are accepting political advertising. You can get in trouble pretty quickly." Still, the payoff can be huge: "There is a growing interest in radio as an advertising medium for politicians," he says, noting that former George W. Bush aide Karl Rove credited radio buys for winning Ohio in 2004, the state that ultimately helped him prevail in a squeaker over Democrat John Kerry.

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