Stations Coping with Political Ad Posting

The ultra-conservative billionaire Koch brothers, Charles and David, will have something to say during the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte (NC) next month. As of Aug. 13, the Koch's Super PAC Americans For Prosperity has spent $127,715 for spots on the four Charlotte stations that will air between Aug. 28 and Sept. 9, overlapping the convention that begins its four-day run on Sept. 3. The breakout: $40,200 for Raycom’s WBTV (CBS); $11,725 for Bahakel’s WCCB (Fox); $20,740 for Belo’s WCNC (NBC); and $55,050 for Cox’s WSOC (ABC).

The buys are just a bit of the information that can be gleaned from TV Stations Profiles & Public Inspection Files — a corner of the FCC's massive website where affiliates of the Big Four networks in the top 50 markets have been obliged under new FCC rules to file political advertising contracts since Aug. 2. In compliance, the broadcasters are currently posting hundreds of political advertising contracts online daily in PDF form. Prior to the FCC adoption of the rules last April, the stations had to place copies only in their paper public inspection files. The only way to see them was to go to the stations. With the contracts now online, campaign finance and media watchdogs groups can remotely access and analyze the buying and selling of political time, and they are seizing the opportunity, but they are struggling with how to digest and make use of the sheer volume of raw data.