With political ads expected to hit a record, news stations can hardly keep up

In one of the most competitive Senate races in the country, political ads in Iowa are running nonstop on Des Moines station WHO-DT. And it can hardly keep up with the demand.

At a time when fewer people are watching news on TV, the station added an hour-long daily news program focused on politics — and hired four journalists to fill the time — just so it can sell more lucrative commercials featuring scenes such as Republican candidate Joni Ernst surrounded by snorting hogs.

Dollars are also flooding into modest...