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Denver Audacy seeking political advertising

Mark Roberts

Mark Roberts

I remember from my time in radio that political advertising was seen as a necessary burden, but nothing you'd seek out. Part of it was the requirement to sell the time for the lowest unit rate; part of it (especially if you had a credible news operation) was not wanting to appear to favor one candidate over another.

Tonight, while listening to KQMT (The Mountain), I heard a spot from Audacy, pitching its Denver stations for political advertising. Audacy has even set up an email address specifically for political advertising inquiries. I never thought I'd see a station actively solicit political advertising.

To state the obvious, times have changed.
 
Mark Roberts said:
To state the obvious, times have changed.
Click to expand...

Radio companies depend on political advertising, and it's been a key part of their earnings reports for at least ten years. Especially with the decline in the retail sector.

The trades report on political advertising whenever they give the quarterlies. Here's a reference from the Salem quarterly report:

Political revenue rose 45% to $1.1 million, which the company attributed to seasonal strength tied to the 2026 midterm election cycle.
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You can't make money if you're not pro-active. That's what those solicitations are about.
 
Mark Roberts said:
I remember from my time in radio that political advertising was seen as a necessary burden, but nothing you'd seek out. Part of it was the requirement to sell the time for the lowest unit rate; part of it (especially if you had a credible news operation) was not wanting to appear to favor one candidate over another.

Tonight, while listening to KQMT (The Mountain), I heard a spot from Audacy, pitching its Denver stations for political advertising. Audacy has even set up an email address specifically for political advertising inquiries. I never thought I'd see a station actively solicit political advertising.

To state the obvious, times have changed.
Click to expand...
I’ve heard a spot like that on a non-Audacy station also
 
thedesk.net

Gray Media rolls out Political 360 digital advertising solution ahead of midterm election

June 17, 2026 - Political 360 is designed to help campaigns, advocacy groups and issue organizations target voters more precisely across digital platforms.
thedesk.net thedesk.net

Here is one Gray Media is running their advertising platform on the TV side for their midterms.

  • Gray Media has launched an enhanced political advertising platform called Political 360.
  • Political 360 is designed to help campaigns, advocacy groups and issue organizations target voters more precisely across digital platforms.
  • The offering integrates voter and consumer data from political analytics firm Aristotle.
Gray Media has expanded its political advertising capabilities through a new partnership with political data and analytics provider Aristotle, launching an enhanced voter-targeting platform designed for candidates, advocacy groups and issue-based organizations.

On Wednesday, the company announced it is integrating Aristotle’s voter and consumer databases into its Political 360 advertising platform, allowing campaigns to target audiences with greater precision across digital media channels.

The initiative is intended to move political advertisers beyond broad demographic targeting and toward more detailed voter segmentation based on campaign objectives, voter behavior and consumer attributes.
Click to expand...
 
Mark Roberts said:
I remember from my time in radio that political advertising was seen as a necessary burden, but nothing you'd seek out. Part of it was the requirement to sell the time for the lowest unit rate; part of it (especially if you had a credible news operation) was not wanting to appear to favor one candidate over another.

Tonight, while listening to KQMT (The Mountain), I heard a spot from Audacy, pitching its Denver stations for political advertising. Audacy has even set up an email address specifically for political advertising inquiries. I never thought I'd see a station actively solicit political advertising.

To state the obvious, times have changed.
Click to expand...

We seek it out here… our 4 stations have contacted every known candidate for ofrices
 


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