If you've turned on the TV lately you've been sure to notice all of the political ads taking over the airwaves.
Southwest Florida residents like Juan Lopez say they feel they’re being bombarded with political ads as the November election nears.
In fact, many viewers have reached out asking why NBC-2 is airing so many ads including those we've fact-checked as mostly false and the answer is surprising many people.
Political ads have no doubt evolved over the years from this 1950s black and white Eisenhower ad which depicts cartoon characters marching and pounding drums singing, “You like Ike, I like Ike, Everybody likes Ike.”
The catchy tunes were used by the John F. Kennedy campaign in the 1960s, which depict banners displaying his name and singers repeating the words Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy for me!”
That innocence though has turned and modern ads have become much darker and often misleading voters with downright false information.
The reality is that a 90-year-old federal law requires TV and radio stations to air political ads.
Nick Harris of Cape Coral said the ads are mostly annoying.
“I feel like now it's especially forced down your throat,” Harris said.
He and others are confused about why stations like NBC-2 air the ads in the first place.
Joseph Noto of North Fort Myers believes the ads are overdone and should be fact-checked.
However, TV and radio stations are not allowed to alter the ads whatsoever.
Harris called that completely crazy.
“You can completely bash somebody and it not be true,” Harris stated.
The Communications Act of 1934 signed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt makes clear TV stations cannot censor political ads run by candidates or parties.
“If somebody comes along with money and wants to have an ad on your station you have to play it. Now you tell me it's by law and you have no choice,” Noto questioned.
The law even says stations must sell the ads at bargain basement prices.
“I'm not surprised politicians sure make laws that are beneficial to them,” Noto said.
However, Political Consultant Terry Miller, who places ads for candidates sees it differently.
“They're protected by the First Amendment. FCC regulations prohibit stations from determining what is or isn't factual,” Miller responded.
So, no matter how negative or misleading the ads may be Miller believes they work.
“I think studies show more often than not that the negative ads work and that's why you see that parties and candidates doing them,” Miller pointed out.
But he warns such ads can backfire.
“I have a reputation of being a hard-hitting consultant and going after my opponents hard and everything we do is based in fact. I source everything,” Miller stated.
While NBC-2 will independently fact-check, in the end, it's up to voters to do their homework but Lopez warns even that can be difficult today.
“If you're going to do research on the internet there is a lot of stuff there that is really not true,” Lopez said.