GOP to Open New Front With Broadcast TV Ads

Upping the ante in an already costly race, the California Republican Party has purchased broadcast television advertising time to help the struggling reelection campaign of Rep. James Rogan (R-Glendale) against state Sen. Adam Schiff, the Democratic challenger from Burbank.

The state party has purchased about $1.3 million in ad time on four L.A.-area broadcast stations for issue-oriented messages designed to boost GOP contenders including Rogan and Rep. Steven T. Kuykendall (R-Rancho Palos Verdes), who is locked in a close contest in the South Bay’s 36th Congressional District against former Democratic congresswoman Jane Harman.

The ads, to begin Monday on KCBS-TV, are a major escalation of the state party’s independent campaign, which has until now been limited to less-expensive and more-focused cable television ads.

“It’s coming down to the wire in the election,” said John Peshong, a GOP regional political director. “You want to make sure the message is heard by more people.”

The broadcast buy has the Schiff camp reassessing its current focus on cable television.

“It’s pretty outrageous,” said Parke Skelton, a spokesman for Schiff. “It’s very expensive, and you reach 25 congressional districts. It’s like buying Florida.”

Democrats Dismiss GOP Strategy

State Democratic Party leaders, who have spent heavily for cable television ads in Rogan’s district, refused to say whether they will also make the leap to broadcast TV before the Nov. 7 election but were dismissive in discussing that strategy.

“You might as well throw money out of an airplane at 30,000 feet,” said Bob Mulholland, a campaign advisor for the California Democratic Party.

Mulholland asserted the Republican ploy is an indication that they realize their candidates are in deep trouble.

Because of the issues of cost and focus, it is unusual--but not unheard of--for congressional ads to make the broadcast airwaves, according to Sherry Bebitch Jeffe of the School of Politics and Economics at Claremont Graduate University.

“It’s not the norm,” she said. “That is because the conventional wisdom is it’s not the best use of political money, because broadcast stations cover a lot more area than the congressional district.”

The Republican tactic might make more of a psychological statement than a political one, Jeffe said.

“It’s a way of throwing down the gauntlet,” she said. “It says, ‘We have the money and we are going to use it.’ It ups the ante for the challenger.”

GOP sources said they expect to roughly split the advertising between Rogan and Kuykendall, although they have not ruled out helping other congressional candidates.

Rogan and Schiff have already raised a combined $9.4 million as of Sept. 30, making it one of the three most expensive House races in U.S. history. Polls indicate the race remains close.

The contest has drawn money from throughout the country, in large part because of Rogan’s role as a house prosecutor in the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton. Both political parties have targeted the race.

Democrats have an edge in voter registration in the district with 44%, compared to 37% for Republicans. Schiff received more votes than Rogan in the open primary, and President Clinton won the district in both presidential elections.

A poll done last week by the Rogan camp had Schiff ahead by just one percentage point, but a larger margin of error means the race is too close to call, one Rogan official said.

Republican officials declined to preview the ads planned for broadcast, but sources said they will be similar or identical to the issue-oriented ads that have been running for months on cable television systems in the 27th Congressional District.

Because they are paid for largely with “soft money” funds raised by the state party, which are not subject to federal contribution limits, the commercials are required to stop short of directly urging votes for Rogan or against Schiff.

GOP Called ‘Fearful’ of Losing Seats

In one GOP advertisement being shown on cable television, Schiff is criticized for inattention to state business.

“In the Assembly, Schiff didn’t always show up for his constituents when it mattered,” the commercial says. “In fact, he missed important votes on child labor laws and criminal sentencing.”

Harman, who used her family’s personal wealth to buy broadcast ads in 1992 when she first won the 36th Congressional District seat, was not surprised by the GOP decision, an aide said.

Harman ads will start soon on cable television, according to campaign consultant Roy Behr, who declined to say whether Harman will use broadcast television.

“We have known all along that the Republicans are desperately fearful of losing those two seats and will do everything to prop up their candidates,” Behr said. “This is consistent with that.”

Behr said polling done for Harman indicates the race is a dead heat.

A political ad on prime time broadcast television can reach about 15 times the audience in the congressional district that a similar commercial will reach on cable television, Behr said.

The Times reported earlier this week that Kuykendall had begun running cable television commercials Monday for the first time in his political career.

The GOP has purchased time on KCBS-TV, KABC-TV, KNBC-TV and KCAL-TV.

The GOP also bought $1.6 million in ads to promote presidential contender George W. Bush.