Gov. Buys Ad Time on His Top Donor’s Network

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger bought nearly $1 million in advertising time on Spanish-language Univision television in mid-October, at roughly the same time the network’s chairman gave him a $1.5-million donation, campaign finance reports show.

The governor’s campaign has spent nothing at Univision’s rival, Telemundo, this year, though both networks have similar audiences. Other campaigns in the 2005 special election are buying ad time on both.

Victor Franco, Telemundo’s vice president for community affairs, said Schwarzenegger’s camp is spending no money at his stations: “Absolutely none.”

Telemundo, owned by General Electric Co., the conglomerate that owns NBC, has made no donations to Schwarzenegger’s campaign.

Univision Chairman A. Jerrold Perenchio is the governor’s largest single donor. He gave Schwarzenegger $1.5 million Oct. 4, campaign finance reports show. The governor’s campaign spent $983,487 at Univision stations in the four weeks that ended Oct. 22.

The amounts that candidates are spending in the final days of the campaign won’t be disclosed until next year.

“It is a clear and direct favor from the governor to his top campaign contributor,” said Steve Maviglio, spokesman for the union-backed campaign opposing the initiatives backed by Schwarzenegger on the Nov. 8 ballot. “It is not strategic. It is clearly done for the benefit of a campaign contributor.”

A Univision spokeswoman declined to comment.

Schwarzenegger spokesman Todd Harris said that Perenchio’s contribution had nothing to do with purchase of the airtime and that the decision to omit Telemundo was based on its generally smaller audience.

“We bought a statewide package of TV spots on Univision, and that was the most cost-effective way to reach as many Spanish-speaking voters as possible,” Harris said. “You advertise where the voters are.”

The pharmaceutical industry, which has spent $76.5 million in the fight over discounting medicines for low-income people, bought time on Telemundo. Drug makers spent $53,000 at Los Angeles station KVEA during the four-week period, and $416,000 at Univision.

The drug companies are promoting Proposition 78, which embodies their preferred way to discount prescription drugs, and opposing Proposition 79, a labor-backed measure that proposes another way.

Telemundo’s corporate parent, GE, has given $80,000 to the Yes on 78 campaign, and $3,500 this year to Democrats in the Legislature. GE has given no money to Schwarzenegger’s campaigns.

The campaign opposing the governor’s initiatives spent $84,680 at the Telemundo station in Los Angeles, and $260,000 at Univision’s Los Angeles station in the four-week period.

Perenchio has contributed $4.8 million to Schwarzenegger since 2002, and an additional $250,000 to the Schwarzenegger-backed Proposition 75, which is intended to restrict public employee unions’ ability to raise campaign funds.

Schwarzenegger is scheduled to appear on an hourlong program today at 11 a.m. on Univision stations.

Univision is subsequently providing time to Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles) to respond to the governor, Maviglio said.