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11/14/14 - Some $57 million was spent in U.S. Senate race in Alaska - much of it on TV ads

Advertising time went for as much as $35,000 for a 30-second spot during the NFL game

More than $57 million was spent on Alaska's U.S. Senate race. Of that $17 was spent came out  of candidates campaign chests. The rest was spent by PACs, and of that, about a third went out of state for Internet ads, robocalls, and mailers. Most of the rest went to local television stations. Stations are required to give candidates their lowest rates. For instance, one candidate paid $450 for a 30-second spot on Anchorage TV news.

Air-time for other political advertisers went to the highest bidder, and those prices were much higher. For example, on the Sunday before the election, a 30-second spot on KTUU during the NFL game went for $35,000. 

About $3 million of the money spent by outside groups went to local workers, for hotels and rental cars, and for newspaper advertising.

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State sending a generator to Tuluksak

The state is sending an emergency generator to Tuluksak, which has been without power since last Friday. Tribal leaders are worried about food in people's freezers thawing. The post office is closed due to the power outage. But the school has its own generator and school is still in session.

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Sockeye salmon forecast for Bristol Bay is 20 million more than average returns

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has released its forecast for next year's sockeye salmon run in Bristol Bay and it's a big one. As KDLG's Dave Bendinger reports, 54 million salmon are expected in Bristol Bay next summer, the highest since 1995. That's a full ten million more than this year's return, which was considered a good run.