Channel 8 cuts deal to cover GOP event

KLAS-TV Channel 8 will be allowed to cover the Republican election night party after agreeing not to send a reporter who had a run-in last week with U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle, the station and GOP sources confirmed Monday.

News Director Ron Comings said the station stands by the reporting of Nathan Baca but agreed to keep him away from the Republican event at The Venetian.

The party "is a private event and if that was what it takes to provide that coverage to our audience, I am willing to make that concession," Comings said.

"It is too important not to be there, and it is not fair to our audience and all the other Republican candidates," he said.

The Angle campaign insisted Baca not be assigned to the hotel-casino after it complained that he "ambushed" the candidate at McCarran International Airport on Friday and reported that she did not answer his questions.

Comings said Baca probably will be assigned to cover the Democrats at Aria. Colleen McCarty and Melissa Duran will cover the Republicans.

KLAS appealed to state Republican Party Chairman Mark Amodei after Angle's campaign banned the station altogether on Friday.

GOP sources said the national party and Nevada's national committeeman Robert List were involved over the weekend to smooth over the rift and persuade Angle to relent on the ban.

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760.