New Federal Campaign Finance Laws Could Cost Missouri Broadcasters

The economic boon some Missouri broadcasters enjoyed with the fall elections might not be repeated as new federal campaign finance reform laws took effect. Broadcasters saw millions of dollars dumped into the state by third-party groups, so-called soft money, spent on ads supporting or attacking one candidate or another. Those ads are now no longer able to be run for a certain amount of time before an election. Don Hicks, President of the Missouri Broadcasters Association, does not believe the law will stand constitutional challenges national broadcast groups are bringing. Hicks says if the law does hold up, there could be a monetary impact for broadcasters. But, he says political ads can be a bit of a double-edged sword as those ads can help a station sell advertising time but at the same time, keep more lucrative broadcast contracts from being sold for those same slots. Broadcasters are required to give candidates the lowest rate given all year.