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Political ad spending is at a record level this election cycle, but most broadcast stations expect to keep airing public service announcements at their usual pace. In the fifteenth annual PSA Director Survey, launched in 2012 by Julia McDowell of Five Ones and conducted this September with Connect360, 63% of stations said they expect to air about the same number of PSAs in the run-up to the midterms as in a non-election period. Another 22% expect to air fewer.
The aligns with the project forcast of substantial political ad spending. AdImpact reports that about $7.6 billion has been spent on political advertising so far this cycle: $3.9 billion on broadcast television, $900 million on cable and $166 million on radio. It forecasts $11.6 billion by the end of the cycle, above both the 2022 midterms ($8.9 billion) and the 2024 presidential cycle ($11.2 billion).
Key Findings
- 68% of stations expect PSA airings in the run-up to the midterms to match or exceed a non-election period.
- About 79% expect 2027 PSA airings to match or exceed 2026.
- Demonstrating social responsibility to viewers and listeners is the most-cited reason stations air PSAs.
- A PSA’s topic and its connection to the local community carry more weight in station selection than familiarity with the cause.
Midterm Outlook
Compared with a non-election period, stations expect to air:
Concern was higher in previous election years. Before the 2016 election, 45% of PSA directors expected less PSA inventory. Before the 2020 election, 49% expected less (35% definitely, 14% possibly); afterward, 37% reported less inventory than normal and 51% reported no change. Both were presidential years, and those surveys asked about inventory rather than airings.
Near-term pressure remains and there will be some PSA suppression in the 30 days before the midterm election. If AdImpact’s forecast holds, about $4 billion in political advertising is still to be spent before Election Day on November 3, and October is historically the heaviest spending period. Radio political spending rose 34% in roughly a month, to $166 million, which is 61% of AdImpact’s $273 million full-cycle radio forecast (Inside Radio, September 29, 2026). Connect360 Multimedia airing data for 2021 through 2024 shows October and November each accounting for about 6-7% of annual TV PSA airings, the lowest share of any month.
2027 Outlook
Compared with 2026, stations expect to air:
In the comparable post-election survey in late 2020, 72% of stations expected the following year to be about the same, 6% expected more, 10% expected less and 12% did not know.
Why stations air PSAs
Broadcasters operate under FCC licenses that require them to serve their local communities. Stations cited these reasons for airing PSAs (share of total responses):
Filling unsold inventory, the factor most affected by political ad demand, accounts for 18% of responses. According to Nielsen data reported by Connect360 Multimedia, U.S. television stations ran more than 14.4 million non-Ad Council PSA airings in 2024, the highest total in television history, during a presidential election year.
What drives PSA selection
Factors that positively affect a station’s decision to air a PSA (share of total responses):
Local appeal has also led prior surveys. In late 2020, 94% of PSA directors said a spot that appeals to their local audience is more likely to air.
Planning Implications
- Avoid launching new PSAs in October. Keep campaigns already on air in rotation.
- Schedule new releases for January and the first half of 2027, historically the periods with the most PSA inventory.
- Give each station a local reason to air the spot: local data, a local story or a local chapter.
- Plan PSAs as a year-round program rather than pausing around elections.
The 2026 PSA Director Survey was conducted in September 2026 by Connect360 Multimedia and Five Ones and sent to more than 4,000 PSA directors and decision-makers at U.S. broadcast television and radio stations. Results for select-all questions are reported as shares of total responses. Historical comparisons draw on prior editions of the annual survey. Political spending figures are from AdImpact.
Connect360 Multimedia manages more PSA campaigns than any other company and is the acknowledged expert in valuing earned-media broadcast PSA campaigns for financial statement reporting. Learn more at c360m.com.
