TVB tries to make case for broadcast over cable for political ads

Cable news may get the big ratings this election season, but local broadcast news is where politicians should put their advertising money, according to the Television Bureau of Advertising.

The TVB, a nonprofit trade association representing broadcast stations, said in a report that the audience for local morning and late-evening local news in the nation’s biggest cities more closely mirror the makeup of the electorate.

For example, while more than 50% of the prime-time audience for cable news channels is 65 and older, that demographic represents only 19% of voters. The biggest group of voters is adults 35-54, which represent 39% of the population but account for only 22% of the prime-time cable news audience.

Those statistics tell only half the story though and may have some cable executives rolling their eyes. While it’s true that senior citzens represent just under 20% of the voting population, the percentage of senior citizens who vote is more than 70%, more than any other demographic.

Given that, don’t look for campaigns to suddenly shift money from cable news to local broadcast TV. Of course, it’s not like there is a shortage of political ads on broadcast television anyway.

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Follow Joe Flint on Twitter @JBFlint.