Media Monitors Issues South Carolina Preview

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Media Monitors has released its update on the primary election that will be taking place in South Carolina. The firm has tracked the political radio spots in Greenville-Spartanburg, Columbia and Charleston, SC for its focus markets. All the data captured for this radio report was from January 1 to February 7. Seantors Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are running the most spots.

In South Carolina, MM sees a big difference in radio spots aired up to February 7. Rubio's Super PAC Conservative Solutions aired 836 ads. They ran 396 in Charleston, 220 in Columbia and 220 in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC. Coming in #2 was the Super PAC dedicated to Ted Cruz, Keep The Promise I, which ran 712 spots -- 191 in Charleston, 139 in Columbia and 382 in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC.

Ted Cruz For President (his campaign) aired 337 spots -- 99 in Charleston, 104 in Columbia and 134 in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC. And that brings his effective total to 1,049 spots, which would put him on top when combined. Donald Trump was behind Ted Cruz by one spot, campaign to campaign comparison; Trump ran 336 spots -- 102 in Charleston, 63 in Columbia and 171 in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC.

Hillary Clinton ran 575 spots so far with 241 in Charleston, 223 in Columbia and 111 in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC. Bernie Sanders ran 258 spots in South Carolina with 205 in Charleston, 38 in Columbia and only 15 in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC.

Jeb Bush was right behind Bernie with 235 spots-107 in Charleston, 20 in Columbia and 108 in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC. Ben Carson's campaign aired 182 spots all in Columbia and the neurosurgeon got some help from his friends at Black America's PAC Action Fund who ran 19 spots in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC.

MM continues to delineate between the "pro" and "against" ads that have been running in each state. So far in South Carolina the negative sell ads are focused on Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. Jeb Bush's Super PAC Right To Rise USA aired 120 ads against Rubio, while Marco Rubio's Super PAC Conservative Solutions aired 108 ads against Ted Cruz.