Washington: Spending on political television advertising is expected to jump 16 per cent, to a record $4.4 billion, in the 2016 presidential cycle compared with four years ago, showing a continued belief by candidates that broadcast and cable TV is the best way to reach voters, according to a report Monday from the Kantar Media research firm.

Since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC decision in 2010 opened the way for unlimited spending by corporations and unions, analysts say, key states have been seeing sharp growth in spending on political ads. Already, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton has reserved $8 million in TV advertising that could begin as early as November.

The desire to reach TV eyeballs may seem puzzling, given that more people are cutting the cord on traditional television and network ratings are on the decline — for some networks owned by Viacom, such as Comedy Central and MTV, ratings are down by double digits over the past year. Television viewing by 18-to-34-year-olds was down 17 per cent in the first quarter compared with the same period in 2014, according to Nielsen.

But one thing that hasn’t changed is the fact that older people, who tend to be the most reliable voters, are turning mainly to traditional TV for their news and entertainment, especially shows such as “Wheel of Fortune” or local evening newscasts.

And even as Republican and Democratic campaign staffers experiment with new social-media platforms such as Snapchat and Periscope, they still see TV as the most effective medium for promotion.

“It’s a simple truth that people who watch local news tend to be voters,” said Mark Fratrik, a senior vice president of the research firm BIA/Kelsey.

The rise so far has been steady: Total television political ad spending in 2012 was $3.8 billion, and in 2008 it was $2.75 billion.

Report author Elizabeth Wilner, who heads Kantar Media’s campaign media and advertising group, attributed the increase in political ad dollars in part to the Citizens United ruling. That decision made it easier for outside groups to collect and spend unlimited amounts of money for candidates.

“Spotting the impact of Citizens United on congressional election spending is like spotting the Great Wall of China from space,” Wilner said.

The boom in political advertising won’t be spread evenly across the nation, as states with key primaries and battleground states will get the most solicitations for ads, she added.

In anticipation, two TV stations in Iowa and New Hampshire reportedly rejected requests from one Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), to reserve ads beginning in December, National Journal reported last month. The stations, political analysts said, appeared to be trying to withhold reservations so candidates would compete for those slots closer to the primaries, thereby driving prices higher.

— Washington Post