Posted on 07/05/2015 1:10:14 PM PDT by Diago
Even before channel-surfing became a national sport in this country, the paid political program had fallen out of favor. Most viewers, the conventional wisdom went, would turn off such a program. And those who did not were probably already supporting the candidate on the screen, anyway.
Then in early October, Ross Perot went on the air with a set of cardboard graphics and 16.5 million people tuned in for what amounted to a 30-minute lecture. Since then, Mr. Perot's paid political programs have consistently outdrawn many sit-coms. (On Friday night, a half-hour program in which Mr. Perot introduced his family attracted 10.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.)
As with so many aspects of his campaign, Mr. Perot's 30-minute commercials seem to defy decades' worth of political experience. But there is still little cause to believe that what has worked for the idiosyncratic and extremely well-financed Perot campaign would be the best course for more conventional candidates. And if President Bush and Gov. Bill Clinton are not rushing to buy half-hour blocks of network time, experts say they probably have a good reason.
One half-hour of network time can run from $150,000 to $700,000. For the same amount, a candidate can flood a television market in a contested state with 30-second advertisements. Candidates like Mr. Clinton and Mr. Bush, who are accepting Federal campaign money, have to make decisions about which of these advertising ventures would be the best use of their limited dollars. Mr. Perot, the Daddy Warbucks of the 1992 campaign, does not. Election Eve Ads
Mr. Clinton did buy 30-minute chunks of local television time during the primary season. In several states, including New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, the Clinton campaign bought a half-hour of television time and invited undecided voters to question the Arkansas Governor.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
How about a bunch of 10-minute YouTubes on various issues?
Dunno if they charge, or even allow, for these things, but it may be a cheap way to get his message across.
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