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  The Society for Consumer Advocates and Mavens

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POLITICAL TV AIRTIME PURCHASING

Our legislators' good intentions cost businesses and eventually consumers "big bucks" all in the name of trying to make things fair. Congress enacted lots of broadcasting rules and regulations but there is only one "law" for radio and TV broadcast station owners and operators.

This one law GUARANTEES that politicians running for elected office will get the absolute lowest rates for radio and TV airtime during election time. Unfortunately, every time an election rolls around for President and Congress, rather than giving the politicians the lowest commercial advertising airtime prices or rates, the stations simply raise all advertisers' rates up to 25% or more since the politicians had the nerve to legislate themselves the lowest possible airtime prices!

Usually between elections prices for airtime go up and down based on supply and demand as well as how good you are at negotiating your best deal with each and every radio and TV station. Congress cannot handle simple day to day negotiations so they tried to "rig" the airtime buying game in their favor by legislating themselves the lowest airtime prices. Unfortunately, during election periods every advertiser, including politicians, end up paying higher prices for airtime that typically costs much much less at any other time during the year!

Who ends up paying the tab? Consumers pay it with higher prices on goods and services because politicians are apparently incapable of negotiating their own low cost commercial airtime deals with each and every broadcast station.

Apparently politicians are either unaware or just do not care that broadcast station managers artificially inflate their prices for commercial airtime right before an election. If you think about it, it is not the politicians' money being spent anyway, it is the campaign contributors' money being wasted! If it was the politicians' OWN money maybe they would care! As usual though, politicians spend carelessly and foolishly that which they never had to work and earn for themselves! !

As soon as the election is over the prices for commercial airtime invariably and automatically go down to the normal buying and selling levels, again based on supply and demand. If the demand is low then prices for airtime will go very low. If the demand for airtime is high and lots of advertisers are seeking to advertise their products and services, like at Christmas time for example, then prices for airtime will be high because the demand will be high on the supply of available airtime spots to sell to advertisers.

Abusing the politicians' wallet may be the broadcasters' way of punishing the politicians for creating such an anti-capitalistic, "politicians get the lowest rates for airtime" law in the first place then cramming down the broadcasters' throats in the typical politicians' take-it-or-leave-it, cavalier attitude that big government is so famous for!

Raising every advertisers' rates for airtime, including the politicians, helps no one except the broadcasters who are laughing all the way to the bank around election time. Laws of supply and demand need to work FREELY and need not be legislated here. NEVER underestimate the will of Big Business, private enterprise and the citizenry to find ways around flawed governmental regulations, especially when we feel something is abusive or just plain senseless.

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