When I was growing up my hometown’s sole television station offered airtime to local politicians in the days ahead of elections. Each would get a few minutes to stump for themselves with segments running one after the other for what seemed like hours. It was quintessential small market television. And whether the airtime was contributed by the station as a public service or paid for I don’t know. I do know that, as a boy, I hated election time because it messed up my TV viewing habits.

As television advertising got more expensive, fewer local politicians could afford to budget for spots. Now, however, that may be changing thanks to Spotrunner, the Internet-based ad agency that makes television ads affordable for small business.

Spotrunner is getting into politics. The agency is bringing its system for creating low-cost TV ads and media planning to candidates at all levels and party affiliations in an effort to “democratize” media.

“Spot Runner is helping to further democratize the election process by leveling the playing field for all candidates. It’s giving every campaign an equal opportunity to broadcast important messages to the most appropriate audiences,” said former Senator Bill Bradley (D-NJ), a member of Spot Runner’s Political Advisory Board. “It’s truly ground breaking.”

Though television has long changed since my boyhood days, I fear we’ll see a resurgance of political television ads for at local races. All I can say is, thank God for TiVO.

Filed under: Advertising, Industry News, Political Marketing, Technology