El Caribe reports that political parties spent RD$456 million on advertising in 2002. The newspaper says that during an election year the political parties become the media?s best customers. Spots on TV last year cost RD$424
million, according to data from the Centro de Monitoreo de Publicidad de Revisa. Of this amount, RD$254-million worth of ads were placed by the government itself, and RD$202 million by political parties for the congressional and municipal elections
of 2002.
The PRSC placed 17,537 spots, valuing RD$64.1 million, followed by the PRD with 14,059 (RD$60.8 million) and the PLD with 12,198 (RD$63.3 million). The propaganda arm of the Presidency placed 15,305. President Mej?a seeks to be re-elected next year.
The study showed that the media charged RD$71 to the PRSC, RD$55 to the PLD and RD$43 to the PRD per second of televised commercials.
An analysis conducted by Miriam Gonzalez of the Participacion Ciudadana civic group concluded that there is a need to monitor these expenditures as the advertising budgets of the political parties come directly from taxpayers? money.
Approximately 90% of all political advertising is placed on TV. Of the total RD$202 million spent by the political parties, RD$180.2 million was used for TV spots and RD$21.2 million for radio.