Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Coalition outspent by Labor on TV

Updated at 8:53 am on 21 August 2010

The Labor Party marginally outspent the Coalition in a campaign TV advertising blitz predominantly composed of negative messages from both sides, according to an independent analysis.

But the Liberal Party aired more ads for its money.

During the five-week campaign, the Government aired 24 free-to-air television advertisements in Australia's capital cities, buying airtime worth $A14 million in the process.

Of the 24 advertisements, 19 attacked Tony Abbott or the Coalition.

The Coalition, on the other hand, aired ads to the value of $A12.7 million: of 30 advertisements, 29 conveyed a negative message about the Government.

The figures were compiled for the Gruen Nation programme on ABC by Xtreme Info.

The ABC reports Queensland was the state most intensively targeted by both major parties.

The total distribution of advertisements between the three commercial free-to-air networks was relatively consistent: Ten showed 2,213 ads, Nine 2,296 and Seven 1,896.

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