Is Time Warner Cable hurting our local democracy?
Why does Time Warner Cable turn away advertising sales from small advertisers? My name is Jessie Read and I am running for a local political office – Waukesha County Clerk. I have a TV ad already produced and I wanted to run it on a few spots on cable TV next week in the Waukesha County area. My budget is limited but I was willing to spend up to $500 which should have gotten 20 to 25 showings for my ad according to the rate sheet that Time Warner Cable provided to me. But when I went to place my order I was told that TWC will not accept any order less than $1500. Why? My ad producer inquired further and was told that anything less than $1500 “would not be effective enough” for the advertiser. But if I have an ad ready to go, it won’t be effective at all if I can’t get it on the air.
Generally speaking it is difficult for local and state political candidates to get their name and message out to the voting public and media advertising is an expensive proposition, to be sure. But given the public’s propensity to get the majority of their information and entertainment from television, it is an important venue to consider when a candidate wants to promote their candidacy. If TWC is not willing to accept smaller ad buys then they are effectively shutting down a major advertising avenue for local politicians, thus reducing the public’s knowledge of those races and hurting our democracy.
Submitted by Jessie Read, Sussex WI
The Journal Sentinel will accept ads from small advertisers (like my campaign for the legislature), but they won’t be covering legislative races this year. Those stories were one of the few places where a first-time candidate without much money could be on equal terms against an incumbent with a prominent local name.
I’d start placing these ads on the web at Waukesha-centric sites. And screw Time Warner. That explanation sounds like BS to me.
maybe dish or direct tv but wonder if that changes the target market..
TWC is clearly undermining democracy.
Rick, any ad buy on Dish and DirecTV is a nationwide ad buy…I don’t think it would be in the interest of a candidate for a county-level office in Wisconsin (or any other state, for that matter) to buy a TV ad that would air nationwide.
Obviously they want BIG cash dollars, especially from politicians that can do the some good. And most certainly they’d like to block ads from the little politicians that run against the big guys.
Because the outsource their work to Pakistan at least the guy I spoke to while trying to order cable service. I decided not to go with time Warner. E ause I’m an American and we need those jobs. Good luck.