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Radio Advertising in American Political Campaigns

The Persistence, Importance, and Effects of Narrowcasting

University of Missouri, Columbia

Jay Barth

Hendrix College, Conway, Arkansas

Although much research has been done on advertising in American political campaigns, virtually all has focused on the use of television. The dearth of work on radio advertising limits our ability to fully understand American electoral dynamics. More campaigns use radio than television, and there is reason to suspect that the narrowcasting that is possible with highly targeted radio ads may be substantively different from the campaign messages that are broadcast over the television airwaves. In this article, we use data from a survey of registered voters in Arkansas and Missouri during the 2002 election season to explore the dynamics of political advertising on the radio. We focus in particular on factors that influence exposure to radio ads, the public’s perceptions of the importance of these ads, and the impacts of exposure on the public’s perceptions of the quality of the democratic process in the United States.

Key Words: campaign advertising • radio • narrowcasting • political media • political campaigns

American Politics Research, Vol. 34, No. 4, 451-478 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1532673X06288201


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