The final media walk-through for the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday fell into sometimes-heated questions over the lack of logistical information regarding broadcasting live from Invesco Field at Mile High.
Though considered by many journalists a chance to report on a historic event of epic proportions, the decision by the Barack Obama campaign to shift the final night of the convention from the much-planned-for Pepsi Center site to Invesco nonetheless has raised significant concerns.
“We’re not going to shortchange you guys on a night that is going to make history,” Jenny Backus, who is handling logistics for the Obama campaign, told the few hundred media representatives gathered at the Pepsi Center.
Broadcast crews preparing to spend tens of thousands of dollars to outfit Pepsi Center suites into studios asked in vain for 25 percent discounts. They groaned at word that there were no guarantees they would be afforded substitute facilities at Invesco.
Further, engineers worried they would need to bring extra gear and manpower to operate both sites.
On a concern level of 1 to 10, Steven Alper, a technical adviser to the PBS “NewsHour with Jim Leh rer,” rated his worries at “10½.”
The Democratic National Convention Committee’s new director of media logistics, Theo LeCompte, fielded questions that again and again went back to Invesco. Again and again, the answer was that in light of the recent venue change, the details weren’t yet worked out.
LeCompte said theatrical lighting at the Pepsi Center wouldn’t be operating the night of Obama’s speech, and that crews would begin dismantling the operation at the Pepsi Center after the end of the previous night’s activities.
In theory, that would allow for broadcasters to use their Pepsi Center suites. But in practice, that would leave no visual background and there would be questions about the integrity of connectivity.
LeCompte also said contracts for cable-television access and for a caterer servicing the media tents hadn’t been resolved.
“I don’t have enough details to give a proper assessment,” said George Jewsevskyj, a broadcast engineer for Fox News. “There are so, so, so many questions.”
Overall, journalists seem excited to cover Obama at Invesco. CNN’s Washington bureau chief, David Bohrman, summed it up after the venue announcement Monday, saying: “I think it has the possibility of being a great television moment.”
But at the walk-through, the magnitude of the task loomed large.
“The big event is now going to take place in a facility no one knows anything about,” said Milt Norton, operations manager for Denver’s 9News. “It’s still a great idea for the viewer at home.”
Several broadcasters grumbled that initial estimates for cable services broadcasting vastly exceeded expectations and required significant haggling to bring the prices back down to acceptable levels.
Natalie Wyeth, a spokeswoman for the DNCC, said: “The reason we’ve made the move to Invesco to Thursday is for the people. This is the people’s convention.”
The trade-off, Wyeth said, made it worth resolving loose ends in the final weeks.
