Iran Deal Backers Buy TV Ad Flight

There have been heavy ad buys in the D.C. market over the past couple of weeks for spots critical of the proposed Iran nuclear deal, which will be getting a vote in Congress in the next several weeks. The other side of the argument is now putting its money where its policy position is.

Americans United For Change said Thursday that it has made a half-million-dollar TV ad buy, including local broadcast TV in Washington supporting the deal and branding opponents the return of the "war hawks."

The 30-second spots, dubbed "They're Back," will air over the next couple of weeks. In addition to D.C., the spots will air in New York, L.A., Miami and West Palm Beach, Baltimore, Boston, and Providence, R.I.

A check of the FCC's political files shows the D.C. buy includes WJLA morning and evening news slots through Aug. 25. The station has been airing spots for Citizens for a Nuclear Free Iran for the past several weeks. That group opposes the deal and has bought ads on all of the Big Four affiliates in Washington.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.