RNC NYC 2004 Media Walk-Through

This Summer, the 38th National Convention of the Republican Party will be held in NYC, August 30th – September 2nd @ Madison Square Garden. In preparation for the Convention, the media have been invited for a walk-through of the event. The Spring walk-through was added for those members of the media who were not in attendance at the Winter walk-through held on December 16th, 2003.

[Tuesday5.4.04---9:45am] On August 30th – September 2nd
2004 NYC hosts the Republican National Convention. In
preparation for covering the Convention, Suite101.com
freelancer [yours truly] sookietex, is on the way to the
Media Walk-through. It takes place at 22,000 seat Madison
Square Garden---"the world's most famous arena", located
between the Garment District and Chelsea neighborhoods
bordered by 33rd and 31stStreets, and 8th and 7th Avenue
[also known as "Fashion Avenue" ], part of Penn Plaza. The
4.2 mile trip took approximately 30 minutes to complete from
this reporter's Upper West Side neighborhood via Broadway
on the southbound MTA #104 and #4 buses; schedules running
every 15 minutes. Fare payable by MetroCard or $2.00 cash
[exact coin change no bills please], free transfers available.

There have been 4 incarnations of Madison Square Garden. The first, 1837-1871, and the second, 1890-1925 [designed by architect Stanford White] were located at the 6.2 acre Madison Square Park in Manhattan between 23rd and 26th streets, and Madison and 5th Avenues in NYC's historic Flatiron district.
The third Madison Square Garden was located at 50thStreet and
8th Avenue. In 1963, the original Pennsylvania Station [save
it's lower levels] was demolished to make way for an office
tower [Penn Plaza], and the fourth and present day Madison
Square Garden, was opened in 1968. It's playing floor sits 5 stories above present day Penn Station.

Penn Station---the nation's busiest transportation center with more than 600,000 passengers daily. The station has 3
underground levels: the main level houses the waiting rooms
and ticket areas for Amtrak,New Jersey's Rapid Light Transit
PATH [Port Authority Trans Hudson]trains and a shopping mall.
Mid-level accesses the IRT 7th Avenue and IND 8th Avenue
subways, the LIRR'sticket booths and waiting area, and another mall. At the third level are the station's 21 tracks.

The originalPennsylvania Station [nee Pennsylvania Terminal],
was commissioned by Pennsylvania Railroad President Alexander
J Cassatt. Neo-classical in style, patterned after the Roman Baths of Caracalla. Designed in 1895 by CharlesFollem McKim.
In 1879, McKim formed a partnership with William Rutherford
Mead and Stanford White; the architectural firm McKim, Mead,
and White. The construction of the original Pennsylvania
Station [completed in 1910]resulted in the demolition of 500 buildings. McKim, Mead, and White was the most prestigious architectural firm in the country during the late 19th and
early 20th century. The Washington Square Arch in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village is another McKim,Mead, and
White NYC landmark.

Prior to McKim, Mead and White's association with Mr. Cassatt, designer Gustav Lindenthal and civil engineer Oliver Weldon Barnes conceived plans for Hellgate Bridge. Construction of the bridge began in 1912, was completed in 1917 and cost more than $30,000,000.00 The span is 1017 ft long and accommodates 4 trains. Named for the waterway 300 feet below, a narrow channel of New York's East River, was so named because of it's turbulent waters: 100ft depth at midstream, tidal rises and falls of 6ft, and strong rip tides, contributed to it's notorious ferocity. Cassatt saw the bridge as a means to connect Pennsylvania Railroad routes in New Jersey, New York, Long Island and New England. Thought to be Lindenthal's best work, Hellgate Bridge via New England naval ports transported troops and supplies to Europe during World War II.

[5.4.04 10:30am] Media walk-through day. i entered Madison
Square Garden from the 31st Street and 7th avenue side, taking the stairs up Penn Plaza Drive to the left of building # 2
Penn Plaza @ the street level. Several Madison Square Garden security guards are placing on easels, white posterboards with large blue lettering and arrows pointing straight ahead that read "Media Walk Through". As post 9/11 security measures dictate, at the first of several checkpoints, i am asked [and Conventioneers will also be] to open my bag. i thought i'd have to take the contents out for more thorough inspection, but the
2 extremely polite & helpful guards [one a black gentleman who appears to be in his early 60s, his partner white, the same
age] wave me off with "no,no you're O.K." smiles.

The 3rdsecurity guard i encounter, a 20 something blonde woman
is not Madison Square Garden security. This guard is Republican National Convention security.

We are to assemble at the Play By Play Sports Bar & Restaurant prior to the walk-through. The Play By Play is one level below Madison Square Garden's events area. It is accessible, by way
of the atrium aka The Terrace [take the escalator up one flight to get to The Play By Play]. Just outside the Terrace's glass doors, is the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame. The Garden's walk of fame salutes more than a century of legendary athletes [Jake LaMotta, Muhammed Ali, to name 2], entertainers,
announcers[Marv Albert; a fav of NY sports fans], and coaches. The floor plaques render in bronze Madison Square Garden and items symbolic of the various honorees' skills [boxing gloves, basketballs, etc.] ala Hollywood's walk of fame[less the
$15,000 induction fee].

[5.4.04 10:45am] about 25 journalists have arrived [15,000 are expected by Convention time]. i see a few people move toward
the RNC security guard. i hear her say in a loud clear voice "they're ready for you now". Nope, not us 'inkstained wretches'. The "you" they're ready for are more RNC security [white male 20 something] with clipboards and checklists of names. The RNC security are polite and efficient, but they make The Matrix' Mr. Smith seem gregarious. Not too long afterward, members of 'the 4th estate' are ushered in. My name is on the list, my I.D. and i pass through the next bag check,and i take the escalator up to the registration tables a few feet away
from The Play By Play.

In case i have trouble jumping the next hurdle, i have copies
of the e-mails confirming who i am & why i'm here. Periodical publications [weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.], freelancers and/or "new media" [read "on-line" publications] are assigned Convention press credentials by the US Senate Periodical Press Gallery [the deadline for credential applications is May 28th 2004]. The Senate Periodical Press Gallery application required
a letter from my Suite101.com Managing Editor Debbi Craig. The RNC Media Communications Department processed the requests for attending the walk-through.

The goal of Convention good will ambassador, Democrat, and popular former NYC mayor Edward I. Koch is to recruit 8,000 Convention volunteers. A tough job: in NYC, Democrats outnumber Republicans by a margin of 5 to 1. To date 1400 volunteers have signed up. One of the 1400 vols [not all volunteers, nor Mr.
Koch are in attendance today], a very cheerful 40 something
black woman asks if i'm pre-registered for the walk-through.
"i think so, can you confirm for me please?" She does, i am,
and am given my official NYC RNC 2004 "Media Logistics
Handbook". The handbook lists the various agencies/contact persons the media may need to communicate with prior to and during the Convention, and has diagrams of MSG and the
Convention floor. The design of the handbook is a patriotic red/white/blue background with graphics of the Statue of
Liberty, and an elephant, symbol of the Republican party. The
RNC press nametag [same design as the handbook] also lists the wearer's press affiliation.

After checking in at the registration tables, the media are directed by the volunteers to The Play By Play, a sports themed restaurant with flatscreen monitors tuned to ESPN [sound turned down]. Play By Play is open for lunch Monday though Friday 11:30am-2:30pm. To Conventioneers who like their food spicy i must recommend The Play By Play's thick steak fries---they are excellent! If you're dining @ The Play By Play, ask for Nicole. Good waitress.

"Walk-through" turns out to be a misnomer. It's actually a 45 minute briefing as the agenda page of the handbook states: "1:00pm-1:45pm Briefing in Madison Square Garden". Just outside the Play By Play, we take the up escalator to the
Garden [proper]. There are now approximately 500 scribes, photogs, et.al. Filing in from gate #67, the usher directs
myself and a handful of others to take a seat in section 107.
i park it on the aisle, seat 14. Luckily i have a great
vantage point: approximately 20ft in front of me is the mike stand today's speakers will use to address us. i'm 60ft back
from center court. The Knick's season is over but their colors are still on the hardwood. Man, sure would be sweet to see Vin Baker on the fast break or Stephan Maurbury teardrop a 3.
We'll get 'em next season fellas!

i'm roused from my hoops daydream as someone does a sound
check. It's Chuck Fuqua, Convention Director of Media
Operations. This is Mr. Fuqua's 4th National Convention. When those seated farther back shout that they are having difficulty hearing, he leans in closer to the mike, re-introduces himself and repeats the information he wants us to know. "The RNC Media Operations Department is responsible for operational and logistical issues such as media credentials, work space, camera positions, broadcast booths, stand-up broadcast positions, and cabling. Media Operations works closely with the four Congressional Press Galleries via the Committee On
Arrangements, and the members of the Network Pool on
allocation of credentials, work space, etc". Deputy Director
of Media Operations Lori Yates is introduced; she does not
speak to the crowd but nods/waves in acknowledgement.

Next to be introduced is Director of Communications, Mark Pfeifle. The application required to attend the media walk-through, was provided by the Communications Department [thank
you Ryan Connolley---an assistant to Mr. Pfeifle]. From Mr. Pfeifle: "the Communications Department focuses on all media inquiries, press releases, media outreach. It also publicizes
the Republican Convention message of opportunity and inclusion for all. Leadership, diversity, and committment to the American people" [and of course, the re-election of George W. Bush as President of the United States].

Next up RNC CEO William [Bill] D. Harris welcomes the media. A genial, barrel chested man with a strong booming baritone---no problems hearing him. CEO Harris informs us "as part of the Welcoming Salute To Broadway, on Sunday August 29th, 2004, Convention delegates will be treated to free tickets [courtesy
of NY Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr], to Aida, Beauty
and the Beast, Bombay Dreams, 42nd Street, Fiddler on the Roof, The Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, and Wonderful Town".
[Market value of the tickets is estimated at $1.5 million]. Ostensibly, the delegates will not have a choice of which show they'll see---"each delegation will be given a block of seats". Time and human nature will tell if ticket trades will be permitted. No definitive answer available as of now.

Other news from Mr. Harris: the launch of the Spanish Language website of the 2004 Republican National Convention. Also, "Convention goers will be able to take advantage of
savings available through "Come Early, Stay Late", a commercial discount program. "Come Early, Stay Late" was established with city businesses by NYC & Company, the city's Convention and visitors' bureau. Approximately 230 businesses will offer discounts and savings to Convention goers. Some discounts and savings opportunities include: 50 percent off admission at The Museum of Modern Art in Long Island City, Queens; 2-for-1 price of admission at The Brooklyn Children's Museum; 2-for-1 price
of admission at the Staten Island Zoo; 15 percent off when you spend $50 or more at Bloomingdales; 20 percent off lunch or dinner at Manhattan's City Crab & Sea Food; 20 percent off on lunch or dinner at Mickey Mantle's Restaurant & Sports Bar; 20 percent off travel with the New York Airport Service and 20 percent off travel with Regency Limousine International".

Next speaker at the MSG media walk-through is Mike Miller, Convention Director of Operations. Mr. Miller has worked on 11 consecutive Conventions---serving as a staff member for the
last 9 Republican Conventions, and covered 2 Conventions prior
as a journalist. With an engaging southern drawl, Mr. Miller spoke predominantly about "sealed perimeters, security sweeps, metal detectors, and multiple city block lockdowns". Interestingly enough, the day after the media walk-through, NYC mayor Mike Bloomberg refuted several points made by Mr. Miller, most
notably the remarks about city block lockdowns, stating, "Mr. Miller was speaking without knowledge". Hmm...guess we'll have
to wait until his Honor, The Secret Service, and The NYPD hash out plans regarding this issue's discrepencies.

[April 2, 2004]"The Secret Service has not asked us to close
Penn Station and at this point in time we don’t have any plans
to do so" [Mayor Mike Bloomberg].

During the Republican National Convention, Penn Station will remain open, with Secret Service and increased NYPD presence, including NYPD's Hercules Unit which incorporates air and sea support. Also bomb sniffing dogs with their machine gun armed, body armour protected, SUV transported, human counterparts. The Hercules Unit is part of the MTA counterterrorism task force. These elite teams patrol various areas around the 5 burroughs[predominately high profile destinations, i.e. The Empire State Building, Times Square, The Brooklyn Bridge, etc.] as intelligence reports dictate. Their primary objective is to discern/disrupt terrorist activity when it is in the planning phase. NYPD Commisioner Ray Kelly has a Secured Telephone Unit device, which allows electronic encryption of phone
conversations between himself, The Pentagon and The White
House.

Police will seek out unaccounted for baggage on rolling Metro-North and LIRR trains and platforms. "MTA cops and State
Troopers ride commuter trains in and out of the city, and are expected to step up security aboard commuter trains headed into Penn Station during the Republican National Convention this summer. An army of up to 3,000 police with bomb sniffing dogs from various agencies will sweep the nearly 3,000 subways and commuter trains that enter Penn Station each day" [NYPD Commisioner Ray Kelly]. 2700 officers[out of a goal of 10,000
by Convention time]have completed instruction in chemical and biological anti-terrorism training. Commisioner Kelly concedes the department can never be totally prepared, "but we're doing everything you reasonably can do". Kelly's advice to New
Yorkers in the fight against terror is "Be alert. Be aware of your environment. If you see anything suspicious, call us". The Hotline # is 311, or call 888-NYC-SAFE. Nearly 10,000 of 'New York's Finest' will be working to keep the Convention safe---
the largest force ever assigned to a national political
gathering.

On or about June 2004, to decrease pedestrian congestion on the street, and as an added RNC security measure, construction will begin on an enclosed bridge to connect Madison Square Garden
with the 90 year old Farley Building, which houses the United States General Post Office. The bridge's construction cost is $1,000,000.00. The Farley Building has been designated as a national historic landmark. It contains 1.5 million sq.ft., and is located between 31st- 32nd Streets and 8th and 9thAvenues.
The building was constructed in 2 stages: the original front
half in 1912, with postal service available in 1914. The second portion stretcing back to 9th Avenue was constructed in 1934.
The inscription on the building's facade---"Neither rain, nor snow, nor heat, nor gloom of night, stays these couriers from
the swift completion of their appointed rounds" is not an official US Postal Service motto [the service does not have an official motto], but a translation of a quote from Greek Historian, Herodotus. In 500BC Herodotus observed the stamina
and loyalty of Persian Postal couriers and described them
thusly. Centuries later, William Mitchell Kendell of the architectural firm McKim, Mead, and White suggested inscribing Herodotus' quote on the facade of the building housing the US General Post Office.

In 1982 the USGP building was named for James A. Farley---New York State native, and 53rd US Postmaster General [appointed
by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, serving from 1933-1940].
The United States Postal Service receives no taxpayer dollars
for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues
solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of more than $65 billion, it is the world's leading provider of mail and delivery services, offering some
of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The U.S. Postal Service delivers more than 43% of the world's mail volume [some 207 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year] and serves 7 million customers each day at its 38,000 retail locations nationwide. The Farley Building will undergo re-development when it is renovated to
be the new Penn Station.

During the RNC, 3 floors of the Farley Building will be
converted to work space for the press; among them Fox News [5,024sqft allotment, basement level], C-SPAN [6,790sqft allotment, 1stfloor], NY POST[sharing 2,160sqft with The Boston Herald, and The Weekly Standard, 2nd floor]. As of this date these sqft allotments are tentative. Freelancers are not
asigned specific work area but will be permitted to access work space where available at the Farley. Begining July 26, 2004,
the media will have access to their assigned work areas in the Farley.

The Federal Election Commission provides both the Republican
and Democrat Conventions with nearly $15 million in federal funding. The Convention's remaining costs are met by the New
York City Host Committee 2004.

2,509 delegates and 2,344 alternates will attend the Republican National Convention. 18,000 hotel reservations will be booked
for the delegates, some media, and others participating in the event by the host committee. A variety of world-class telecommuntications services will be provided to the media and Convention delegates byVerizon. New York's Union leaders and convention planners are enjoying a mutually productive relationship. They have attended planning meetings and will continue them until convention time.

The Republican Party was founded in 1854 by members of the Free Soil Party and the Conscience Whigs---members of the Whig Party from the North; so called because at that time, abolitionists were perceived to be radicals. The election of Illinois Republican Abraham Lincoln in 1860 firmly established the Republican Party as a major force in American politics.

[Wednesday5.26.04] Three weeks and one day ago, i was
priviledged to have been among the mass-media attending the
walk-through at Madison Square Garden, in preparation for the 2004 Republican National Convention. 21st Century voters are living in historic times. August 30th- September 2nd 2004 promises to bring additional historic moments. See you when
the Grand Old Party comes to party in NYC.




Republican National Convention Blog NYC 2004