• by David Goetzl , April 22, 2010

Station groups have been touting a possible flood of political dollars this year from corporations after the Supreme Court ruled they can spend as much as they want to influence elections. But a station executive said last week he is not expecting the bounty. For years, corporations and interest groups have found ways to spend through other channels.

Even with some primaries looming, a Bloomberg BusinessWeek report quoted a prominent Washington attorney this week noting that so far, not one large company "has made a palpable move to take advantage of (the ruling)."

With President Obama and a bipartisan coalition in Congress pressing for aggressive financial reform, will Wall Street fight back with ads? Would it craft its own version of "Harry and Louise," the famed campaign looking to combat President Clinton's health-care reform efforts in the 1990s?

It isn't likely.

Banks, derivative traders, sub-prime mortgage experts are under too much scrutiny, and it would probably bring a backlash. Imagine the Goldman Sachs ad!

But forgoing advertising doesn't mean Big Finance is cooling its heels. Obama was to give a speech today asking financial execs to stop "furious efforts" through lobbyists to block reform, according to The Washington Post.

TV stations could still benefit from spending for candidates and parties later this year -- but perhaps more likely from unions, which have been advertising for years.