The San Diego Foundation, a philanthropic nonprofit, has been named the 2025 title sponsor of three annual events presented by the San Diego Museum Council: Museum Month in February, the Big Exchange in May, and Kids Free San Diego in October.
Next year’s sponsorship coincides with the San Diego Foundation’s 50-year anniversary and its year-long Fifty & Forward Campaign. Since its creation in 1975, the Foundation has granted $1.8 billion to support nonprofit organizations that focus on racial and social justice, equity of opportunity, and building resilient communities, the organization said in a statement.
“As we celebrate San Diego Foundation’s 50th anniversary, we’re proud to sponsor local events that bring our community together,” said Mark Stuart, president and chief executive officer of the San Diego Foundation, sponsor of the events.
“These gatherings allow us to connect directly with our neighbors and support efforts that align with our vision of just, equitable and resilient communities.”
February’s Museum Month, now in its 36th year, features half-off admission. The Big Exchange in May strengthens museum membership programs. October’s Kids Free San Diego features free admission to local museums.
According to SDMC, more than 250,000 people benefited from these three programs in 2024, giving families increased accessibility to more than 80 museums and cultural sites in San Diego.
“Thanks to the generous support of San Diego Foundation, we will be able to strengthen our programs and increase access to museums for more kids and families throughout San Diego,” said Bob Lehman, executive director, SDMC.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy the educational and cultural benefits of San Diego’s world-class museums and sites.”
Fox Sports Agrees to 2024, 2025 Holiday Bowl Broadcasts
The Fox Sports TV network has signed a two-year extension to broadcast the 2024 and 2025 DirecTV Holiday Bowl, San Diego’s college football game. Fox Sports has televised each Holiday Bowl since 2017.
Kickoff for the 45th annual DirecTV Holiday Bowl is set for 5 p.m., Friday, Dec. 27 at Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley. The two teams will include a current member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and a previous member of the Pac-12 Conference.
Over the past two years, the Pac-12 has lost 10 of its 12 members to other conferences: UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington moved to the Big Ten; Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah joined the Big 12; Cal and Stanford went to the ACC.
“We are excited to extend our partnership with Fox Sports for the next two years,” said Mark Neville, chief executive officer of Sports San Diego, the nonprofit organization that produces the annual DirecTV Holiday Bowl.
“They are a leader in sports broadcasting in both college and professional football and will certainly provide tremendous coverage encapsulating the excitement of the DirecTV Holiday Bowl. Can’t wait for December 27.”
Los Angeles Times Owner Plans Changes to Include ‘All Voices‘
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, the billionaire owner of the Los Angeles Times, has vowed to shake things up and make his newspaper a place where “all voices” are heard.
In a recent TV interview on Fox News Channel that aired a week after Donald Trump’s reelection, Soon-Shiong said he wants his paper to differentiate between news and opinion and report on facts.
“If it’s news, it should just be the facts, period. And if it’s an opinion, that’s maybe an opinion of the news, and that’s what I call now a voice,” said Soon-Shiong. “And so, we want voices from all sides to be heard, and we want the news to be just the facts.”
Soon-Shiong, who bought the LA Times in 2018, came under fire after he quashed the editorial board’s planned endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris in the final days leading up to the November 5 election.
Three members of the LA Times’ editorial board resigned in protest over the paper’s non-endorsement. The paper had previously endorsed Democratic candidates in every presidential race since 2008.
In the Fox interview with anchor Trace Gallagher, Soon-Shiong said, “It is our responsibility to maintain democracy, to have the views of all our California readers, in fact, the views of all the national readers to be aired. Because if we just have the one side, it becomes nothing else but an echo chamber. And so, it’s going to be risky and difficult. I’m going to take a lot of heat, which I already am, but you know, I come from the position that really it’s important for all voices to be heard.”
A report from Editor & Publisher, a journalism industry trade publication, discussed Soon-Shiong’s social media post on X, formerly Twitter (https://twitter.com/DrPatSoonShiong/status/1855765947275153775). His tweet said, “I will work towards making our paper and media fair and balanced so that all voices are heard and we can respectfully exchange every American’s view … from left to right to the center. Coming soon. A new Editorial Board. Trust in media is critical for a strong democracy.”
2024 Election Cycle Ad Spending Hit Record $10.86 Billion
The ad tracking firm AdImpact reports a record $10.86 billion was spent in political advertising spending during the 2024 election cycle, making it the most expensive election cycle of all time. It compares to $8.47 billion that was spent during the 2020 cycle.
As reported by Insider Audio Marketing, a trade publication, AdImpact said the presidential race cumulatively saw the highest amount in total ad spending, roughly $3.06 billion with $2.3 billion between July 22 and Election Day. Over that time, Democrats held a nearly $460 million spending advantage.
“It (the spending advantage) didn’t matter,” commented AdWeek, an advertising industry publication. “The Trump campaign put its voter-moving money into podcasts, platforms like Twitch, and influencer networks.”
The fight for control of the Senate resulted in $2.6 billion in total ad spending. The most expensive race was in Ohio, where $477 million was spent on ads, making it the most expensive Senate race in U.S. history. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) lost his re-election bid to Republican Bernie Moreno, who had $248.7 million in ad support, which was $20 million more than the incumbent.
AdImpact also reported that U.S. House races totaled $1.68 billion in total ad spending during the 2024 cycle. Democrats spent $705.2 million, while Republicans spent $521.2 million.
In addition, AdImpact said an analysis of the messages used in campaign ads showed abortion was the dominant issue among Democratic candidates, who also frequently mentioned healthcare, candidate character and taxation. Republicans hammered away at issues including crime, immigration, and inflation, which were messages that turned out to resonate more with voters.
Other news media outlets offered their versions of post-election analysis about political ad spending.
According to Insider Radio, eMarketer said Trump’s campaign spent considerably less on social media. Harris’ campaign spent $12.2 million across Facebook and Instagram, while Trump’s campaign spent just $611,228.
“Trump’s established political brand, dedicated following and support from conservative and right-wing media platforms reduced the former reality star’s need for hefty spending,” said eMarketer, noting that Trump shifted big money to connected TVs, which more effectively captured consumer attention in swing states.
Meanwhile, Media Post, a trade publication, wrote, “Although Trump’s campaign did not spend as much as it had previously on traditional social-media advertising, it was savvy in courting a specific caliber of influencer. While the Harris campaign prioritized short-form clips across TikTok and Instagram, the Trump campaign invested in podcasting and long-form video on YouTube, making a deeper connection with influencers who boast massive followings, especially among young men.”
Several media outlets reported that Harris raised more than $1 billion, of which $580 million was spent on staff salaries, yet ended-up $20 million in debt. In contrast, Trump raised about $381 million and spent $345 million, of which only about $10 million was spent on staff.
The Washington Times wrote, “Vice President Kamala Harris’ luring of celebrities out of their mansions to perform songs for middle-class voters struggling to afford groceries and rent was symbolic of an attitude that ultimately doomed her $1 billion presidential campaign.”
According to news reports, when Trump heard the Harris campaign was $20 million in the hole, the president-elect offered to pay the debt from his leftover funds.
Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.
