Political Spending Primed To Edge Out Other Advertisers, Study Says

NEW YORK — Political parties, independent groups and candidates in this year’s mid-term elections are breaking all records for political ad spending, according to a study by Initiative Media North America. Spending on television is poised to exceed the record amount shelled out in the 2000 presidential election year — $672 million — and could hit $1 billion by Election Day on Nov. 5th, the report says.

So far, Initiative’s study found that television ad spending has already topped $678 million, and traditionally spending is heaviest the last three weeks of a pre-election period.