• Political Hush Money

    Timothy Karr
    October 8, 2012
    The Miami Herald's Edward Wasserman cites two Free Press reports on political ad spending in a cutting commentary on the state of local television news. “The funders of political advertising appear to have purchased not just airtime, but immunity from media scrutiny,” writes Wasserman.

  • One Minute of News vs. 162 Minutes of Ads

    Timothy Karr
    October 2, 2012

    Denver is playing host to the first presidential debate of 2012, but for TV viewers in the Rocky Mountain State, the political mudslinging has been going on for months, thanks in large part to the deluge of political ads from Super PACs and other third-party groups.

  • TV Stations Accept Political Ad Cash -- and Leave Viewers in the Dark

    Timothy Karr
    September 24, 2012
    The political ad invasion is upon us. Media analysts project that campaigns, Super PACs and “social welfare” groups will spend a record-breaking $3.3 billion on political ads by Election Day. For the local stations that air these ads, it’s a political goldmine. But what’s a cash windfall for stations is a nuisance for tens of millions of viewers.

  • Battling a Mean Receptionist and Ice Cream Madness to Inspect Political Files

    Libby Reinish
    September 21, 2012
    My Political Ad Sleuth road trip was often a solitary adventure. So when I arrived in Albuquerque, the last stop on my whirlwind four-city tour — which also included stops at TV stations in Denver, Detroit and Toledo — I was excited to see some familiar faces. With 20 station visits under my belt, I was feeling confident. What could go wrong?

  • Staples, Paper Jams and Security in Miami

    Josh Stearns
    September 19, 2012

    Security is no joke at Miami’s local TV stations. All six stations I visited were behind tall fences with a gauntlet of security guards and call boxes. After my third or fourth attempt to explain to a security guard what the political files were, why I wanted to look at them and why I did not need an appointment to do so, I got to thinking about all the hoops I have had to jump through and bizarre conversations I have had in my political ad sleuth travels.

    Here is a rundown:

  • Political Files Under Lock and Key in Miami

    Josh Stearns
    September 18, 2012
    I recently returned from a mission to collect political ad files from TV stations in Miami. The CBS4 and MyTV33 files consisted of info on the usual suspects — the same groups that advertised at other Florida stations I visited. What I found interesting was not so much who was advertising as how much they were advertising.

  • Big-Money Politics at Miami's Spanish-Language TV Stations

    Josh Stearns
    September 13, 2012

    I was up around 4 a.m. to get to the Hartford airport for my flight down to Miami. I had palm trees and sandy beaches on my mind as the plane touched down, but before long all I could think of was pulling staples and scanning files.

  • On the Road in Toledo

    Libby Reinish
    August 20, 2012

    Toledo, Ohio was one of the “10 hottest campaign markets” when I visited last week, and it showed in the political files of the TV stations there. Weighing in at market number 75, Toledo is small enough that its TV stations are not required to put their political files online until 2014. But these stations are selling more ads than almost any other market in the country.

  • The Top Five Most Ridiculous Things I Have Experienced (So Far) While Collecting Files from Television Stations

    Candace Clement
    August 17, 2012
    While the process of collecting public and political files from broadcast TV stations should probably evoke the feel of a drama or a high-tension mystery show, my experiences have left me feeling like I am starring in my own personal sitcom. Why? Because the process of getting my hands on these files has been laced with moments that can be described only as comedic. Or maybe they more accurately fit into the genre of “dark comedy” —you know, the kind that’s funny but also makes you groan a bit.

  • On the Road in Chicago at NBC and Telemundo

    Josh Stearns
    August 13, 2012

    I have to admit, I approached NBC Tower in Chicago with trepidation.

    Five years ago I helped organize 1,000 people from all over Chicago to attend a Federal Communications Commission hearing and speak out against media consolidation. Two years ago I was in Chicago to organize local people to oppose Comcast's takeover of NBCUniversal.

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