Posted on 11/17/2007 7:58:05 AM PST by Nevadan
School gained valuable publicity from event, officials say
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas really did pull out all the stops for CNN this week -- including waiving the cost of renting the Cox Pavilion.
University officials said Friday that the publicity gained from the event more than compensated for the estimated $60,000 the university might have charged for use of the facility.
"This was certainly in the university's interest, given the national attention, and we saw it as an educational experience," said UNLV spokesman Dave Tonelli.
CNN paid all other costs associated with the event, including expenses incurred for the use of university police, according to UNLV Associate Vice President for Community Relations Schyler Richards.
Yet the fee waiver caught university system Chancellor Jim Rogers and Regent Steve Sisolak by surprise. Both attended the event and had assumed CNN paid for the space.
Sisolak said the university might have opened itself up to making the space available at no cost to other organizations because it waived the fee for a partisan event.
"If they did it for the Democratic Party, they should make it available for the Republican Party for their debate," Sisolak said.
Tonelli said the university would waive the fee for other broadcast networks wishing to hold debates at UNLV.
"We would be completely fair," he said.
The university gained publicity and educated the community by hosting the event, Rogers said.
"The fact is that if the fees were $30,000, we got a half a million in advertising from it," Rogers said. "Here you've got (CNN moderator) Wolf Blitzer and everybody talking about UNLV."
The normal cost for renting the Cox Pavilion, where the UNLV women's basketball team plays, for a nonticketed, nonuniversity event is $15,000 per day, according to Thomas & Mack Center Facility Director Daren Libonati.
For ticketed events, the university charges 11.5 percent of the gross sales from tickets.
CNN rented the space for four days, Monday through Thursday.
The network received what it said were the highest ratings ever for a primary debate at just over 4 million viewers.
It’s a presidential debate, get over it.
That was nice of them to do that.
This was a debate in which the questions selected were stupider than the answers.
The quality of the debate nor the party is the issue. If there’s a debate of presidential candidates they should be able to use public facilities.
Hmmmm ..??
Would they have done the same for FOX ..??
I don’t think so!!
Speculation doesn’t change my position.
“UNLV waived fee for CNN to use Cox Pavilion for debate”
No shock there...it’s academia at work at a publically-funded school.
This sort of Bravo Sierra goes on at UCLA.
Every type of student club (lefists/liberals, of course) meets on
campus with no hassle (probably with the assistance of UCLA staff).
But a few years back when the Young Republicans wanted to have a
meeting at UCLA, the administration’s automatic reptilian action
is to “price them off campus” by saying “OK, but YOU’VE got to pay to
provide security”.
Something the leftist/liberal groups surely don’t have to cover.
I don’t disagree with your characterization. Until you get to call it what you want it’s a presidential debate and my opinion is that public buildings should be made available.
....aah UNLV....the school that hired Jerry Tarkenian; an outlaw coach with an outlaw ball club in an outlaw town.
Hey it’s Las Vegas for God’s sake, everyone knows that in Vegas crime bosses always get comped, and there is not question when it comes to crime bosses, Hillary qualifies.
Hmmmm ..?? You obviously watch a lot of CNN.
There’s only one good thing on CNN - Glenn Beck.
There was a debate and it aired on what channel?
Hey they did it ‘for the children’
It obvious that CNN couldn’t afford the $60,000 and would have had to go out in the desert somewhere instead of having a nice air-conditioned pavilion with all the amenities (sound, lighting, stage, etc) that they wanted for a first class Democrat debate.
ROFLOL..!!
Groups like the NAACP frequently get not only free space, but also cash donations to entice them to use facilities. Such is the nature of the game - facility operators, universities and visitor and convention bureaus pursue national events, especially televised ones with great fervor as the portfolio value often results in heightened awareness, elevated regard and one would hope much added revenue.
This is really a non-story - unless you can prove that the building would have otherwise been used by a paying group, especially one with competing ideology? I’m assuming that hosting the event cost the university no more than leaving the building empty - and a deal benefited both.
Smart deal IMO.
Huuuuuuuum! You obviously don’t know what you’re talking about and you’ll say anything. Huuuuuuuuum!
Typical liberal .. when you can’t argue your point - just begin the personal attacks.
You people are so easy to read!
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