Broaden view on Games, bid CEO urges media

The head of the team trying to bring the 2014 Commonwealth Games to Halifax says bad publicityat home is making it tough to sell the bid overseas.

"I'm of the view that the local media in some cases, not all could look at a broader perspective of the real story here," Scott Logantold CBC News Monday.

A recent report in the Scotsman, anewspaper in Scotland, a country competing against Halifax for the sporting event, said the Halifax bid is "on the brink of imploding."

Several Halifax municipal councillors have threatened to pull their support for the Games as rumours circulatethe eventcould cost more than $1 billion, up fromthe $785 million first presented to council.

Logan said too much of the public discussion has been based on speculation and rumour. He said the final tally will be revealed no later than May 9, but it could be released earlier if all the funding partners agree on a budget.

"Done the right way in an affordable context, the Games could change the city," he said.

Logan, who was on a recent tour of 11 countries, said Halifax bid officials are getting an excellent reception overseas.

Halifax needs 36 of 71 votes to beat out Glasgow and Abuja, Nigeria, to win the event. The final bid has to be submitted to the international committee in May and the winner will be announced in November.