Following the political ad campaign finance trail and compiling statistics like the ones cited in the USA Today piece, however, was previously a nearly impossible feat for reporters as broadcast stations were not required to publicly disclose their political ad revenue files until recently. In April, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) passed a landmark rule that now requires broadcast stations to post their political ad revenue files online so that political ad spending can be tracked in real-time. The passage of this rule marks a new era of transparency in campaign finance disclosure, as formerly political ad files were only available in paper, most often inaccessibly warehoused in file cabinets at individual TV stations. In this particular USA Today article, however, it is important to note that the reporters compiled more nuanced data–ranging from the specific time slots in which ads aired to the breakdown of viewer demographics–than what is currently available from the FCC website.