The Ohio Newspaper Organization, a consortium that includes the Dayton Daily News and the seven other largest newspapers in the state, reviewed political advertising records kept by 23 broadcast television stations in five media markets: Akron/Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton and Youngstown. Those figures cover purchases made since the May primary season and reserved time made through November.
The numbers keep climbing. Even as reporters checked the files, more advertising contracts were being signed.
“People like to think that presidential years are the big years for money being spent on political ads. Actually, it’s the gubernatorial year,” said Don Spicer of Triumph Communications, which helps campaigns — mostly Democrats — make their ad purchases. Typically, gubernatorial years mean more statewide candidates are on the ballot and vying for airtime.
Money talks in politics, and it talks loudest during the final weeks of an election. Consumers often complain about the deluge of ads, along with their negativity, but the candidates wouldn’t keep doing it if they didn’t think it was necessary and effective. And in a big state like Ohio, it’s often the only way a candidate can get heard.
Campaigns like to advertise during newscasts and popular early evening game shows such as Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, when they believe registered voters are more likely to be tuned in. And candidates try to appeal to different demographic groups based on when they run their ads.
“Oprah for women, football for men, baseball for older voters, especially with the Reds in it now,” said Bob Clegg of Midwest Communications and Media, which advises Republican campaigns on ad buying. “And OSU football is big. That has every single demographic you could want — men, women, older, younger.”
But 30 seconds of advertising time during an Ohio State University Buckeye football game in Columbus — particularly against a solid opponent — runs $30,000 to $35,000, Clegg said. “The ratings are just through the roof.”
In terms of TV advertising time, the two most costly and contentious races are for governor and attorney general, where candidate campaigns have spent $6.6 million and $5.2 million respectively.
In the race to replace George Voinovich in the U.S. Senate, Republican Rob Portman has a huge lead in the polls and an even bigger lead in what each candidate is spending on television advertising. According to the newspapers’ compilations, Portman has spent more than $2.4 million, while Democrat Lee Fisher has spent a little less than $600,000, much of that coming during his primary against Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.
Outside ad money, including from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has also given the Portman campaign a boost.
Spending in the governor’s race reflects the importance each party is placing on that seat. Gov. Ted Strickland’s re-election campaign took to the airwaves early — right around the May primary — to start defining Republican John Kasich to the large swath of voters who didn’t know him. But during the dog days of summer, Strickland held onto his advertising money, saving it for the post-Labor Day media buying frenzy.
Since the primary, the Strickland campaign has purchased $3.2 million in ad time in the five markets. Kasich, meanwhile, started his advertising campaign in mid-summer and saw his numbers improve significantly in multiple political polls. Kasich’s media buys in the five markets total $3.4 million.
One of the biggest, most pervasive ad campaigns is coming from the Republican Governors Association. The RGA has spent $3.3 million in Ohio’s three largest media markets: Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.
The RGA spent $1,228,175 in the Columbus market for 3,108, 30-second spots. If run back to back, they would add up to 25.8 hours of non-stop anti-Strickland ads.
In contrast, Building A Stronger Ohio, a pro-Strickland group backed by labor unions and the Democratic Governors Association, spent $511,525 for 845, 30-second spots in the Columbus media market.
Building A Stronger Ohio spent nearly $600,000 in the Cincinnati market but its spending totals in the other markets were not immediately available. Other labor unions, such as the Service Employees International Union, have been running pro-Strickland ads while American Crossroads, the right-leaning group that former Bush aide Karl Rove founded, has run ads bashing Fisher in the Senate race.
Attorney General Richard Cordray, a Democrat, put up $2.8 million for TV ad time in the five markets to try to beat back Republican challenger Mike DeWine, a former U.S. Senator.
The DeWine campaign, which came out with its first ad last week, has reserved $2.4 million in television advertising time in the five markets.
Although $25 million has been spent so far in the five markets, even more campaign checks will be written to television stations in the coming weeks as down ticket candidates start making their ad buys. Little advertising time has been reserved so far for the races for secretary of state, auditor, treasurer and supreme court.
Strickland said the ad buys are the only way to reach masses of people at one time. But, he said, “It’d be nice if you could have five-minute ads and actually talk about an issue.”
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reporter Thomas Feran Jr., Dispatch reporter Mark Niquette, Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Amanda VanBenschoten, Dayton Daily News reporter Lynn Hulsey and Youngstown Vindicator reporter David Skolnick contributed to this report.
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