The do-or-die Democratic primary in Pennsylvania has many businesses getting out of the way of the profusion of political ads hitting the Keystone State's airwaves. The influx of political spots has
left many marketers on the sidelines as time gets more expensive--and to avoid getting caught up in the clutter.
"To compete with that would probably not be the wisest use of our
dollars," says Michael Wishnow, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association. His group recently suspended a television advertising campaign, figuring that its message would get lost. And
of course, TV stations are required to give political candidates the lowest rates--and they thus can bump other advertisers to lower-rated shows or off the air entirely. "You can count on a bumpy
ride," says Karyn Macy, a media buyer at Macy Advertising. "I hate this." While she finds it wise to avoid the weeks before an election, not every marketer can. Car dealers, for one, may need to get
rid of inventory within a certain time slot, notes media buyer Barbara Shimp, broadcast media supervisor at Neiman Group in Harrisburg.
At Harrisburg 's WHTM, the two candidates--Sens.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama--will likely spend $200,000 just by Friday, says Joe Lewin, president and general manager of the ABC affiliate, with Obama accounting for the bulk of that. Elections
may be good news for TV stations, but can be tough on year-in, year-out clients, Lewin notes: "In a way, it's not fair to the regular advertisers.
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