Grandpa Irwin’s TV money

As next month’s primary election grows near, it’s open season for political advertising at San Diego television stations. Early off the blocks has been Sheriff Bill Gore with a $9100 purchase of 47 spots from April 23 through May 6 on KGTV Channel 10, according to federal disclosure records. Fellow Republican Summer Stephan, the county’s appointed district attorney, has so far spent $12,875 for 62 KGTV spots over the same period. The pair is using the same media buyer, Chicago-based Kelly Scott & Madison, which comes as no surprise to insiders since Stephan and Gore also share the same local consultant, Jason Roe, a longtime confidant of Mayor Kevin Faulconer.

The single biggest splash has been made by 84-year-old billionaire Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs, who on February 7 gave $250,000 to Women Vote!, a super-PAC that is backing his granddaughter, Democrat Sara Jacobs, 29, to replace departing Republican congressman Darrell Issa. Women Vote’s pro-Jacobs spots, featuring a shot of her with Barack Obama, among other D.C. photo ops, are all over the dial, with $123,810 spent by the the political action committee at KGTV. At Channel 8 KFMB-TV, Jacobs is spending her own money, using her political committee to which she has so far given $1.07 million, to buy 237 spots for $112,800.