WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville
More than four million viewers are expected to turn their attention to North Florida tomorrow for another Republican presidential debate. University of North Florida spokeswoman Sharon Ashton says CNN came to the campus just a few weeks ago, and students and staff have been scrambling ever since.
“We’ve had a ‘Plan A,’ a ‘Plan B’ and a ‘Plan C'”, Ashton said. “There’s lots of moving parts.”
She says the head of Florida’s Republican Party is from Jacksonville, so he guided the network towards UNF to gain exposure for the area. She says the exposure is paying off.
“Millions and millions of people will see UNF. We can’t buy that kind of advertising, and it is worth every ounce of energy we put into it.”
Ashton says UNF’s team is still fine tuning logistics like parking, food and power supply, but the university is ready to go live with CNN today. CNN will broadcast from UNF beginning today with coverage continuing through the debate tomorrow and in to Friday.
