This is designed to help educators and students understand the procedure for determining what a specific candidate, or SuperPAC, would pay for a commercial on a specific TV station. Notice the URL at the top of this first graphic:
https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/tv-profile/______(STATION CALL LETTERS GO HERE)
I have chosen WIS-TV (NBC) in Columbia SC as the example (you can insert the call letters of your station there) and I will be examining how much current Governor McMaster’s re-election campaign is paying for commercials on that TV station. (NOTE: stations are prevented by the FCC from increasing rates during election cycles; prices paid are the lowest that station charges all advertisers.)
1. First, click the icon POLITICAL FILES located in the left hand column.
2. The next screen shows you folders of previous and current election cycles. I am selecting 2022.
3. For this example, since I am searching for ad prices for the Governor’s race, I have selected the STATE option. 
4. This page lists all of the candidates that are running for STATE offices. Again, I am choosing the McMaster folder.
5. So on this next page, I am selecting the top choice because it’s dated the latest. This will open a PDF graphic, which you will want to save in order to examine more closely the specific ad costs.
6. These are excerpts from the PDF that opened. The bottom of the first image indicates the total cost the campaign paid for ads. The next image gives you more specifics. For example, an ad cost the campaign only $25 dollars in an early morning newscast, but increases to $350 for the later newscast. The reason for the difference in costs is related to the size of the audience tuned in at that time.
