Political advertising

[Garrett Wollman]

<<On Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:30:00 -0400, "Bill O'Neill" <billohno@gmail.com> said:

> I think that there is something about the rate being ROS or some low-end 
> figure on the card (for every interested candidate).

"Least Unit Charge" or LUC -- political candidates may not be required
to pay more than the lowest rate for a comparable non-political buy in
the six (?) months prior to air.  (So stations make an effort to keep
their regular rates as high as possible between March and November of
election years.)

There are rules about what constitutes "comparable", and I believe
stations are allowed to require that candidates buy whatever the
minimum minimum buy is for all other clients (so brokered stations
aren't required to run political spot advertising, but are required to
offer time slots to candidates at the best rate they offer them to
regular clients).

Oh, and broadcasters aren't allowed to require political advertising
to meet any standard of accuracy or even public decency, even if the
station normally enforces such requirements on its other clients.  The
only requirements a station may impose are either purely technical
(deliver the ad in such-and-so format) or specified by law ("I
approved this message").

"Bona fide" news interview programs are not considered advertising for
the candidate being interviewed.

-GAWollman