FNC’s Election Season Windfall?
AdAge’s Dan Hirschhorn writes about what the 2012 election season could do to FNC’s ad accounts…
Like CNN, MSNBC and others, Fox News is set to benefit from the proliferation of third-party political and issue advocacy groups including Super PACs and 527s, which can afford national airtime and are gearing up to be major players in 2012 politics. Last year’s Supreme Court ruling in the so-called Citizens United case opened the floodgates by allowing mostly unfettered corporate and union spending in elections so long as it was not coordinated with candidates — giving rise to the Super PACs, which can accept unlimited corporate donations.
Particularly as the general election campaign gets under way, Super PACs will have to decide whether to focus their money on more opinionated media or on bids to reach the center, but Fox News is certain to collect a good portion of their spend. Total viewers for Fox News regularly top the combined audiences of CNN and MSNBC.
“We’re going to see these big buys come in from the Super PACs,” said John Brabender, a longtime GOP media buyer who works for Rick Santorum’s underfunded campaign and advised Rudy Giuliani in 2008. “At a time when most businesses are worried about demand, Fox won’t be.”
Inside Cable News 
November 17, 2011 at 3:05 pm
Interesting article. I agree FNC and even FBN will do very well during the primary season but I expect when the general election starts next summer the money flow to move more to local channels and other sites like ESPN that are frequented by independents and moderates.
The thing is there will be so much money spent in the second half of 2012 the problem will be finding places on TV to place your ad. Everyone even channels like the Food Network and Nickelodeon will make big money.