Roanoke Stations May Have Too Much of Good Thing

Cheap airtime and undecided voters are making Roanoke, VA the belle of the ball for political campaigns looking to get their messages out to local viewers, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The AP report contrasts the size of the market with the appetite for airtime, noting the Virginia city may be market 68,

But the Roanoke market has consistently been number one in the country for the number of political ads aired. This is good news for top-rated station WDBJ-TV, a CBS affiliate. Its ad haul could top $5 million. Around the country, local stations could rake in more than $3 billion from political advertising.

But while broadcasters may be thrilled with the revenue boost the ads bring, viewers may not be so happy.  The flood of ads is causing some to vote with their remote,  “It’s either Democrat or Republican and all they’re doing is talking and you just flip the channel,” a woman in the report said.  “But if you flip the channel to another station.  They’re on there too.”