Boston 2024 MPC Plan Carries Risks, Warn Olympic Media Leaders

(ATR) Olympic journalists tell Around the Ringsthat all factors must be considered if Boston 2024 moves its Main Press Center outside of the city.

Boston 2024 is yet to name a location for the MPC in the updated "bid 2.0" plan.Initially, the MPC was set to be built next to the South Boston Convention Center, but that plan was scrapped after community opposition to the proposal.

And that has led to some concerns from leaders of two major international sport media organizations.

Steve Wilson,president of the Olympic Journalist Association andEuropean Sports Editor for the Associated Press feels an MPC removed from major venues could be a risky situation.

"If journalists are stuck in traffic or taking hours to get to the venues, then it would be a disaster," Wilson said to ATR.

"The media bus network would need to be fast, reliable and efficient," Wilson added.

"It really all depends on how far out, or how close, the MPC is to the city and the venues. It is crucial that the MPC is still in a location within easy travel distance of main venues."

He added: "there would need to be dedicated lanes to avoid traffic tie-ups. Getting to key venues within 30 minutes should be the goal. If that can be done, then it should be workable."

Gianni Merlo, president of the Association of International Sports Press (AIPS), said toATR the issue was borne from a lack of media input to the IOC's Agenda 2020 reform package.

"We have reached this point because in the Olympic Agenda 2020 the Media requirements are not specific enugh and this is a big mistake, a MPC is not a competition venue," Merlo said.

Merlo did say that a temporary MPC could be the future for media operations.

"The more important thing is that there is a place where every journalist has a place to work in connection with their colleagues. A central point is important."

Merlo says that in the future it is possible for a majority of journalists to work permanently outside of the MPC given upgrades in technology, but the space must still provide "free internet, including cable, and reasonable prices for accommodation."

Bid chief executive Richard Davey said to TheBoston Globethat "a solution hasn't presented itself," regarding placement of the MPC, and that the bid could look to move the center outside the city of Boston.

Traditionally the MPC is located in the Olympic park and close to major Olympic venues, easing the workload for athletes and IOC officials to meet the world's media. Boston would break the tradition by moving the media outside of the city to cover the Games.

Boston has already moved a third of the planned venues outside of the cityin order to bring costs down for the project, taking advantage of Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms.

The Boston Globe reported that Boston 2024 could rent 1 million square feet in buildings around and outside the city to house the world’s journalists and broadcasters. The Hynes Convention Center in Boston has been considered as part of the group of buildings.

"If we could find space in an office park or a large warehouse outside of Boston, in some respects that’s even more desirable because it’s more of a private space that the media can use that is not interrupted by traffic and spectators," Davey added.

Written by Aaron Bauer

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