The UC Rock was turned into a television set Wednesday as Comcast Newsmakers ventured outside their studio to visit the University of Miami.
Due to construction on the program’s regular studio, Newsmakers has ventured to notable locations in the South Florida community, including the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood and UM.
“We wanted to pick somewhere that reflected South Florida, and when we saw that [Cobb] fountain, we knew that was it,” host Spero Canton said after taping.
The show, which airs at :26 and :56 past the hour on Headline News (channel 29 on campus), features local personalities, ranging from an American Gladiator to Susan Kaufman Purcell, director of UM’s Center for Hemispheric Policy, who spoke with Canton about the economic downturn’s impact on Latin America. Newsmakers taped 26 episodes of the show in one day.
“I got here at 8:30 a.m., and we just wrapped at 5 p.m.” Canton said. “Whenever we got hot during the day, we just looked to the left and saw the pool, and that just cooled us down.”
Canton is a Miami local who has fond memories of UM, despite attending the University of Georgia.
“I remember when I was in Cub Scouts, I used to go to University of Miami games at the Orange Bowl and baseball games at Mark Light,” Canton said.
Episodes of Newsmakers taped at UM can be viewed during the month of March.