Broadcasters Hail Campaign Study

The National Assn. of Broadcasters Monday hailed the results of a Times’ study of election-year spending as proof that campaign costs would not be reduced substantially by giving candidates free television air time.

The Times’ computer-assisted survey of 1990 campaign spending found that one-third of the nearly $200 million that Senate candidates spent during the last election was used to pay for advertising and media consultants--far less than most experts have estimated.

The broadcasters’ group said that the survey disproves the argument made by political professionals that rising television costs are driving up the costs of campaigning. Jim May, the group’s vice president for government relations, said that The Times’ findings, reported in Monday’s editions, show that pending legislation in the Senate designed to provide candidates with some free television time would do less than expected to bring the costs of campaigns down.