VIrginia: 3 Hours*
Campaign Ads on Local News
on Monday, Oct. 27, 2008
WRC Channel 4, Washington, DC (NBC) News 4 at 4*, 5 and 6
<<Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008

With less than ten days until Election Day, based on this 2 hour 40 minute sample of one channel's local news coverage, the Obama campaign appears to be putting considerably more resources into buying ads on Washington, DC television to reach into Northern Virginia than are McCain-Palin 2008 and the RNC.
read by row left to right

"Defining Moment" (2min.)
Obama for America
Ad attacking Keith Fimian
DCCC
"Right Now"
For Maryland for our Future

"Part of the Problem"
Let Freedom Ring

"Ladies and Gentlemen" McCain-Palin

"It Gets Worse"
Obama for America
Ad attacking Keith Fimian
DCCC
"Right Now"
For Maryland for our Future
Ugly, false smears by Keith Fimian
Gerry Connolly for Congress

?title?
Obama for America

"Chair"
RNC
Ad attacking Keith Fimian
DCCC

"Try This"
Obama for America

"Right Now"
For Maryland for our Future

"Defining Moment" (2min.)
Obama for America


?title?
Obama for America
Career politician Gerry Connolly...
Fimian for Congress
"Chair"
RNC
"Right Now"
For Maryland for our Future
Ugly, false smears by Keith Fimian
Gerry Connolly for Congress
Ad attacking Keith Fimian
DCCC

"Try This"
Obama for America
An ugly partisan campaign...
Frank Wolf for Congress
"Right Now"
For Maryland for our Future

"Chair"
RNC
Ad attacking Keith Fimian
DCCC
Career politician Gerry Connolly...
Fimian for Congress
"History"
Judy Feder for Congress
Ugly, false smears by Keith Fimian
Gerry Connolly for Congress
Ad attacking Keith Fimian
DCCC
"Steel"
Obama for America


"Chair"
RNC
An ugly partisan campaign...
Frank Wolf for Congress
Ad attacking Keith Fimian
DCCC

"Try This"
Obama for America
News 4 at 4 (missing the first 20 minutes)*: Approx. 23 ads in 6 ad breaks.  10 campaign ads (including one 2-min. ad) from 7 different groups.
News 4 at 5: Approx. 23 ads in 6 ad breaks.  11 campaign ads
(including one 2-min. ad) from 7 different groups.
News 4 at 6: Approx. 28 ads in 7 ad breaks.  14 campaign ads from 9 different groups.


During this time block, 35 campaign ads aired (including two 2-min. ads), and 15 of them (including the two 2-min. ads) focused on the presidential campaign.  Put another way, 41 30-second ad equivalents aired, of which 21 focused on the presidential campaign:
    15 (9) - Obama for America (5 different ads including 2-min. ad run twice)
    4 - RNC ("Chair")
    1 - McCain-Palin ("Ladies and Gentlemen")
    1 - Let Freedom Ring

The other 20 are from a Maryland measure and two Virginia congressional races.  Compared to the Oct. 23 sample, no Mark Warner ads ran, while the DCCC weighed in heavily with its ad on Keith Fimian:
    7 - DCCC
    5 - For Maryland for our Future ("Right Now")
    2 - Fimian for Congress
    3 - Gerry Connolly for Congress
    2 - Frank Wolf for Congress
    1 - Judy Feder for Congress
    0 - Friends of Mark Warner


Copyright © 2008  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action