Big-City Politics in ‘Suburban Chinatown’ : Elections: KSCI-TV offers free ad time to eight council hopefuls after a news show producer sells commercial time to her candidate husband.

MONTEREY PARK —  A Los Angeles television station has told the producer of a Chinese-language news show that she must provide free advertising to eight Monterey Park City Council candidates because one candidate--the producer’s husband--did not properly pay for his campaign commercials.

The producer, Erica Casperson, violated a contract with KSCI--Channel 18 under which political candidates must buy commercials directly from the station, KSCI General Manager Rosemary Dannon said.

Erica Casperson has been running commercials for candidate John Casperson on China TV, which airs daily on Channel 18. Erica Casperson produces, hosts and reports on the half-hour program, which covers local news, primarily of Monterey Park. She buys time from KSCI to run her program.

She said her husband paid China TV for the ads, and a campaign report filed by John Casperson last week lists a $1,000 payment to China TV. Advertising on China TV costs $100 per 30-second spot, Erica Casperson said.

But Dannon said candidates must buy advertising from Channel 18, rather than individual productions like China TV, to ensure that each candidate is paying the same price. The Federal Communications Commission requires that broadcasters offer equal time to all political candidates.

Channel 18 is offering the time free because it had no way to monitor how much John Casperson was paying China TV, Dannon said. “We can’t control (advertising purchased from producers) and the rate charged,” Dannon said. “They could charge one person one thing and not collect. That would be an unfair advantage.”

But Erica Casperson, insisting she has done nothing wrong, said Friday that she has no intention of complying with the station’s order to give free commercials to her husband’s opponents.

“No way,” she said after learning of the Channel 18 decision. “I cannot do that for free. I am the owner.”

Dannon said KSCI would run the free ads during China TV’s air time, with or without the producer’s consent.

John Casperson, meanwhile, angrily refused to comment on the matter. “If you print that . . . you’ll be facing a lawsuit,” he said.

Casperson’s eight opponents could be eligible for commercials equal to the amount of time China TV ran commercials for Casperson last week if they meet the station’s requirements, Dannon said. That is because the federal Equal Opportunity Rule, enforced by the Federal Communications Commission, takes effect 45 days before an election--March 2 for the April 14 vote.

After KSCI’s decision last week, John Casperson began paying KSCI directly for ads that were to run this week, Dannon said.

Dannon said other candidates must inform the station that they want to take advantage of the offer within a week of when a specific commercial ran. Casperson ran two two-minute commercials Monday through Friday of last week, Dannon said.

KSCI is not contacting other candidates about the offer, Dannon said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, no one had told the station they wanted the free commercials, although several candidates contacted by The Times said they might. “Why not get the exposure?” candidate Francisco Alonso said Monday.

“I know (China TV) only reaches a certain segment of the population, but why not?” said candidate Andy Islas. “This should be quite interesting.”