• The Wall Street Journal, Monday, November 1, 2010 11:26 PM

The political-ad onslaught may be welcome news for the battered local television business, but the blitz has caused major headaches for corporate America. Madison Avenue media buyers say the influx of political spending has forced many consumer ads off the air. Advertisers have had to scramble to readjust their ad plans to dodge skyrocketing ad prices and find a home for their ad spending, notes The Wall Street Journal.

"We are pulling our hair out," says Lisa Pilger, vice president of local media at Rubin Postaer & Associates, known as RPA. Ms. Pilger says her firm, which works on behalf of companies such as Honda Motor Co. and Pioneer Corp.'s Pioneer Electronics, has had about 20% of its local ad buys bumped off the air. Elyse Clark, broadcast buying director at GSD&M Idea City, says many of her ads have been displaced, too. Total political-ad spending is expected this year to total $3 billion to $4.2 billion, up from $2.5 billion in 2008.

Advertisers generally buy local TV ads with contracts that state they can be pre-empted. TV stations are legally bound to take a federal candidate spot first if the politician is paying the same rate, says The Hollywood Reporter. The strong political season has left marketers and its Madison Avenue media buyers scrambling to readjust media plans.

Read the whole story at The Wall Street Journal »