Preparations for final Presidential Debate continue at Washington University

St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 14, 2000 -- In the second of a series of media briefings, officials from Washington University, Southwestern Bell and the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) updated reporters on preparations for meeting the technical and logistical challenges of hosting the third and final Presidential Debate. The debate will be held Tuesday, Oct. 17, in the university's Field House. More than 1,500 members of the media are expected to attend.

Joani Komlos, media director for the CPD, commented on the advantages of returning to Washington University, which hosted the first Presidential Debate in 1992. "It's like coming home, in many ways," Komlos said, adding that "the staff of Washington University has far exceeded our expectations ... [they] know how to plan an event better than we do." She also noted the vital importance of contributors like Southwestern Bell, pointing out that "the debate is only successful if we can make all the operations work together."

Komlos announced that outdoor stand-up positions for broadcast media, both at the lawn level and on a pair of flatbed media risers, will be allocated by lottery no later than the morning of Sunday, Oct. 16, as will the 15 broadcast booths located in the media filing center. Media will find their positions clearly marked upon arrival Sunday. Komlos also informed reporters that all general ticket-holders for the debate will now be seated in the bleacher section of the main debate hall. The floor of the hall will be reserved for media risers and for the "Town Hall" audience, which will have the opportunity to ask questions directly of the candidates.

Larry Giovanni, program manager for Southwestern Bell, discussed the company's extensive preparations to support the telecommunications needs of the local and national media, the Secret Service, and the staff of the CPD. To date, some 200 Southwestern Bell workers have expended more than 4,000 person-hours installing approximately 2000 business phone lines, a portable cellular tower, 27 video feeds on fiber-optic cable, 12 T-1 lines and 48 high-speed ADSL internet connections.

M. Fredric Volkmann, vice chancellor for public affairs at Washington University, informed reporters that, due to Secret Service restrictions and other factors, only an extremely limited number of media parking spaces will be available on campus Oct. 16 and 17. However, the university will provide continuous shuttle -over- service from the main media parking lot (located in nearby Forest Park) directly to the media credentialing tent, located near the northern entrance to the Field House. Media will be required to show a current valid media identification card to board the shuttles, which will run from 7 a.m. to midnight Oct. 16 and 4 a.m. to midnight Oct. 17.

In addition to the briefing, media members were taken on a tour of the Field House to see the ongoing construction work in the main debate hall and in the media filing center.