The Dick DeVos for Governor campaign committee has spent more than $10 million dollars on television advertising through July 28 according to a review completed by the Michigan Campaign Finance Network (MCFN). Spending by the DeVos for governor campaign has increased dramatically this month, going from an average of less than $250,000 per week in May to more than $650,000 per week in July. The amount of money spent by the DeVos campaign on advertising has already exceeded the previous state record of $4.3 million spent by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Geoffrey Fieger in 1998. Democrats have spent some $2.1 million on “issue advertising” in response, although they are not legally required to disclose information about who is paying for those advertisements. A breakdown of spending thus far:

Dick DeVos for Governor television spending through July 28, 2006

Detroit: $4,249,355
Grand Rapids / Kalamazoo: $1,878,780
Lansing: $1,125,041
Flint / Tri-Cities: $850,715
Northern Lower Peninsula: $743,180
Western Upper Peninsula: $247,810
Cable: $922,096
Total: $10,016,977

MI Democratic State Central Committee television “issue ads” through July 19, 2006

Detroit: $699,955
Grand Rapids / Kalamazoo: $346,280
Lansing: $263,300
Flint / Tri-Cities: $173,950
Northern Lower Peninsula: $151,640
Western Upper Peninsula: $57,285
Cable: $456,048
Total: $2,148,458

The numbers released by the Michigan Campaign Finance Network only tally the cost of airtime and do not include the money spent producing the advertisements. Broadcasting corporations in Michigan are making considerable money from the ad sales this election (and have done so historically), thereby raising questions about their responsibility to serve the public interest by providing substantive election coverage. However, while broadcast corporations are making money by selling airtime on publicly owned airwaves to the candidates, the election coverage has been dismal at best .