Surviving the Political Ad Deluge

Brian Ahladas should be cheering. The local ad inventory he supervises at NBC affiliate WWBT in Richmond (VA) is in high demand, thanks to the coming election. He's fielded a heady influx of advertising from political organizations and, in recent weeks, the presidential candidates themselves. But instead of sleeping easy at night counting his political ad dollars, Ahladas has to constantly monitor ad rates and juggle schedules, trying to ensure his local advertisers -- at least those unafraid of their spots running in a sea of attack ads -- aren't kept completely off the air. Legal requirements say that if a candidate requests time, the station is obligated to provide it. That can sometimes require replacing parts of an ad schedule already established by local sponsors.