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Scripps National Spelling Bee Reverses Decision - Morgan Brown Allowed to Compete

March 26th, 2008 | Followup

Morgan Brown, the 12-year-old Missouri girl who had been kicked out of the Scripps National Spelling Bee on a registration technicality has now been reinstated. Read our original story.

The Spelling Bee’s director, Paige Kimble, released the following statement earlier this evening:

After further consideration, we have determined that Morgan Brown is eligible to compete in the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

The bee has a reputation for fairness and inclusiveness that rests squarely on the integrity of the rules that govern the competition. However, we believe after a thorough review that there is sufficient ambiguity in the North Platte enrollment to justify accepting Morgan’s certification as the champion of the St. Joseph News-Press Qualifying Regional Spelling Bee.

Good for Scripps! They finally came to their senses. Well, at least they did when they saw that denying Morgan the chance to compete in the contest that she worked so hard for was turning into a PR nightmare for them.

At any rate, we’re glad to see Morgan back in the game. Hopefully next year, the Bee’s organizers will make those forms a little easier for the schools to understand and fill out.

3 comments ↓

#1 School Error May Keep Spelling Bee Champ From National Competition — Awful Marketing on 03.26.08 at 12:28 am

[…] UPDATE: Scripps National Spelling Bee officials have reversed their decision - Morgan Brown will now be allowed to compete at the finals in Washington, D.C.  Read more… […]

#2 Public Relations Nightmares » Blog Archive » Scripps National Spelling Bee Reverses Decision - Morgan Brown … on 03.26.08 at 1:45 am

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#3 Melanie on 03.28.08 at 5:34 pm

According to the latest public disclosures:

Mr. Kenneth W. Lowe, 57, Chief Executive Officer, President, Director, and Member of the Executive Committee of E.W. Scripps Co. is now personally being compensated $9.92 million per year. (No, that’s not a typo.)

Second banana Mr. Richard A. Boehne, 52, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, currently receives $2.67 million per year. Take a look at the amounts being paid to the rest of the key executives. I can’t type them; it’s just too nauseating:

http://finance.aol.com/company/the-e-w-scripps-company/ssp/nys/key-executives

And this self-proclaimed “not-for-profit” spelling bee claims to have no choice but to charge schools $99.00 to participate in this event?

“Not-for profit,” huh? They aren’t paying these clowns with “losses.”

$99.00 per school to participate in this event?

I realize that for-profit Scripps is the parent organization of the spelling bee, but it is undeniably in Scripps’ best interest to keep the Bee as accessible and positively-publicized as possible.

Paige Kimball has publicly set the annual cost of producing the Bee at $2.5 million per year.

Good Lord, the CEO ALONE could pay for this entire event, (without a cent from the schools or anyone else), and STILL clear over $7,000.000.00 a year!

After the publicity that Scripps has gotten lately, I bet he wishes he had.

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