Ads tout ‘yes’ votes for S.F., Texas facilities

As Election Day approaches, supporters of stadium-related referendums in San Francisco and the Texas Panhandle are nearing the end of their ad efforts to encourage local residents to vote for the projects.

The Giants are part of a group that spent $128,000 on ads supporting the Mission Rock measure.

In San Francisco, the MLB Giants are part of a group that had spent $128,189 on advertising through Oct. 20 in support of a development near AT&T Park, according to documents filed with the Federal Communications Commission and the San Francisco Ethics Commission. The targeted 28-acre parcel, known as Mission Rock, is currently used for surface-level parking for events at AT&T Park. What’s proposed is turning the area into a mixed-use neighborhood featuring eight waterfront acres of parks and open space; 1,500 rental-home units, at least 33 percent of which would be in the price range of low- and middle-income residents; 1.5 million square feet of commercial space; a 2,300-space parking garage; and the renovation of Pier 48, which is also at the site.

The group driving the effort (and responsible for the spending) is officially known as San Franciscans for Affordable Housing, Jobs & Parks, Yes on Proposition D.

The FCC requires local ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox affiliates to provide detailed contract information about their political advertisers to the commission. Those documents show that about 45 percent of the outlay in support of the Mission Rock project was spent on Bay Area network affiliates in July and August, immediately after the coalition successfully gathered the necessary number of signatures from San Francisco voters required to qualify for the Nov. 3 ballot.

While the FCC does not monitor advertising on cable networks, online or any other media outlets, according to documents filed with the San Francisco Ethics Commission, the remainder of the more than $128,000 in ad spending has come in recent weeks on cable TV, in social media, with direct mail and for print ads. Only one TV expenditure has been reported since mid-September: a $6,939 purchase on Oct. 13.

Washington, D.C.-based Mundy Katowitz Media is recorded as the coalition’s primary media buyer.

The ad spending is part of a larger $1.5 million sum the coalition had spent through Oct. 20 to tout the project, according to the ethics commission filings. That spending, most of which has come from the Giants, also accounts for legal and public relations services and general administrative costs for the group.

Meanwhile, voters in Amarillo, Texas, are being asked to decide the fate of a full stadium project.

Vote For Amarillo, an organization supporting the construction of a $32 million minor league ballpark in the northwest Texas city, had committed $34,980 through Oct. 20 to advertise on local network affiliates, according to documents filed by the group with the FCC. Of that spending, 40 percent was earmarked for sports broadcasts, in particular.

The most expensive sports-related order ($3,000) was for a 30-second spot during the Oct. 4 “Sunday Night Football” game between Dallas and New Orleans on NBC affiliate KAMR-TV. The lower end of the spending has been $275 for a 30-second spot during several of CBS affiliate KFDA’s Saturday afternoon college football games.

The cost of a spot during nonsports programming ranged from $250 during KFDA’s Sunday night late newscast to $560 on KAMR’s weeknight late newscast.

Four spots were produced for the effort, all by Amarillo-based Double U Marketing & Communications.

No organization has aired any ads in San Francisco or Amarillo opposing these construction plans.