Campaign spending hits record highs

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MARK AUSTIN THOMAS: Primary election season is here. Marketplace’s Lisa Napoli says buckets of money will be spent to get your vote.

LISA NAPOLI: Even though it’s just a mid-term election year, campaign spending is going to amount to a king’s ransom.

Experts anticipate a record $1.6 billion will be spent to woo voters.

And forget all the talk about the rise of the Internet and even cable TV as campaign tools.

Ad Age reports that Evan Tracey of the Campaign Media Analysis Group says old media are going to prevail.

EVAN TRACEY: State and local races again to be married to broadcast television. I see it as the weapon of choice. Television is the biggest megaphone these campaigns have.

Tracey says you ain’t seen nothing yet. Spending’s really going to soar for the wide-open presidential election in 2008.

In Los Angeles, I’m Lisa Napoli for Marketplace.