Television: Election's over: Now what?

In the classic 1972 political drama "The Candidate," Bill McKay has just been declared the upset winner of a U.S. Senate seat and is hiding from the hoopla with his stunned campaign manager. McKay, played by Robert Redford, looks at his mentor with a mix of euphoria and fear and delivers the movie's unforgettable closing line: "What do we do now?"

It's a question a lot of media folks must be asking themselves in the wake of Tuesday's election.

For more than a year, politicians have been among television's brightest stars, whether it's John McCain and Sarah Palin lifting "Saturday Night Live" to its highest ratings in more than a decade or Barack Obama joshing with Jon Stewart last week and drawing the most viewers ever to "The Daily Show." Cable-news debates broke all records, and previously obscure eggheads, such as Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow, can now justify their own entourages.

But now that the votes are in, TV journalists may have to deal with the country's massive hangover and face the fact that they won't be able to rely on polling results, back-and-forth bickering and Joe the Plumber for boffo ratings.

At Twin Cities stations, at least, executives and reporters seem confident that they won't have to resort to stories about cats stuck in trees to keep their audiences interested.

"I think the post-election period will be just as fascinating as the pre-election period," said Tom Hauser, the go-to political analyst for KSTP, Channel 5. "It's still going to be a contact sport with a lot that people can sink their teeth into."

One topic that will get plenty of airplay is the economy. Stories about consumers' pocketbooks, corporate downsizing and the future of your 401(k) might normally lull viewers into a deep sleep, but KMSP, Channel 9, news director Bill Dallman said the old rules no longer apply.

"The response to those stories has been great," he said, pointing specifically to KMSP's ongoing series "Surviving the Economy," which goes beyond the numbers by focusing on specific, real-life stories. "A few months ago, those kind of pieces might not have gotten much attention, but in local news, you have to be flexible."

Tom Lindner, news director at KARE, Channel 11, said he believes that other stories that have been set aside in recent weeks -- the Guantanamo Bay fallout, up-and-down gas prices -- will now move front and center.

"There's always something going on," he said.

Ads weren't big moneymakers

One piece of drama that will certainly go into hiatus is political advertising that, at times, filled almost half of local stations' commercial time. You might think the 30-second spots were lifesavers for the stations in these tough economic times, but WCCO, Channel 4, General Manager Susan Adams Loyd said they weren't big moneymakers. Because of government rules, candidates in federal races pay the lowest rate and get top priority, which means they're guaranteed airtime over steady, more profitable customers.

"It's a blessing, but it's also a curse, because wonderful advertisers that have stuck with us through thick and thin have had to be bumped out," she said.

Hauser said he hopes that viewers turned off by the nasty tone of many of those ads will tune in for more substantive coverage.

"You get excited when anything political gets people engaged, even if it's stuff about who is the biggest liar and who is going to sell you down the river," he said. "But maybe now that it's over, a lot of them will stay connected."

njustin@startribune.com • 612-673-7431