The reason for the increase since the 1990s is largely due to the advent of pay TV, which split up consumers according to viewing habits. This was a double-edged sword for us because, while it meant we could target more accurately, it also meant the audience was more fragmented and therefore harder to reach. It also meant that if an ad wasn’t instantly engaging, consumers could very quickly turn to another station. Or fifty. So unless political parties could advertise on every possible station (which would chew through any budget), ads had to be more engaging. And negative ads are more
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