Huge Caruso ad buy: $17 million in broadcast TV time for remaining weeks of mayoral race

Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso, shown last week at the Grove with his dog, Hudson, has committed to spending $17 million on TV ad time in the coming weeks. After a dormant summer on the airwaves, Rick Caruso’s mayoral campaign on Thursday reserved $17 million worth of broadcast TV ad time spread over the remaining weeks of the race — a commitment that does not include cable or digital advertising, meaning the spending total will likely grow. After finishing seven points behind Bass in the June primary, Caruso lost ground during the summer, according to a UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co- Caruso spent more than $22 million on broadcast and cable advertising ahead of the spring primary — part of the more than $40 million he spent overall — but remained off TV through the summer and into September, sparking speculation that he might rein in spending for the fall. Instead of building affordable housing or contributing his wealth to help solve the homeless crisis, Rick Caruso once again announced he is foolishly dropping millions more into his vanity campaign for mayor,” Miller said, suggesting that the money “didn’t work in the June primary and it won’t work in the November general election.” The Bass campaign has not discussed its ad plans, though her campaign has sent fundraising emails asking supporters to chip in to “Karen’s TV Ad Fund.” “We expect Caruso to start attacking Karen any day now.