Campaigns Turn to a Cheaper Medium to Get Voters’ Ears: Radio

The sprawling Republican primary field naturally has a lot to do with it, but campaign commercials on radio appear to be having a moment: Political advertising on iHeartMedia, one of the biggest radio conglomerates in the country, with 858 stations in more than 150 markets, was already up 30 percent for the fourth quarter over the same period in 2011, the company said. Donald Trump, whose campaign has dominated television news coverage of the Republican primary, has bought ads only on radio, with six different commercials playing across the country. A big “super PAC” supporting Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX), Keep the Promise I, has spent $1.3 million on the radio so far and nothing on television.

Yet radio ads may be more effective at getting a candidate’s message through to its intended audience, some campaign strategists said. “From Dec. 15 through January, if you want to find a basket full of white noise, go to your Iowa TV set,” said Doug Watts, a spokesman for Dr Ben Carson’s campaign, which has been advertising on radio since the summer. “People are spending millions of dollars, and every other spot is going to be a political spot.” “You’ve got to find a way around that,” Watts said, adding: “Radio works.”