Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Direct election spending at least $A50 million

Updated at 7:01 am on 23 August 2010

Media executives have smiles on their faces as a result of the election campaign in Australia.

While most mere mortals find modern election campaigns deadly dull, Radio New Zealand's Sydney correspondent says media companies make a fortune out of them.

An estimated $A30 million was spent on television ads alone during the five-week campaign by political parties.

Another $A20 million was spent on the internet, billboards, newspapers, radio and direct mail ads.

But Radio New Zealand's correspondent says it was not just the political parties who were advertising.

The mining industry spent heavily on ads against Labor's resources tax, while the union movement ran an ad campaign against the Coaltion's industrial relations policy.

The big question is what's going to fill the gap in ad schedules now the election is over.

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