Why Didn't I Stay For The Doves?

A lot of you have been asking why I didn't stay for the Doves this year.

I usually cover the event, but this year they moved the show from Wednesday to Thursday, which meant two extra days in Nashville. Since my roommate leaves on Wednesday afternoon, that would mean about $400 in hotel costs. I could have tried to move to another cheaper hotel, but then I'm scrambling for a ride to the event and then back to the hotel. Logistically, it's a nightmare. (Trust me, I've done it for years just trying to go back to my regular hotel.) This year, I decided that I just couldn't afford it.

The irony is that although GMA announced that the show on Thursday this year, it didn't click with a lot of media folks, who booked flights home Thursday morning just like normal. So I don't know who all is going to actually be there. There are a lot of major media outlets who come in just for the Doves. But the normal GMA media outlets? We'll see who makes it.

Why the change in dates?

The off the record answer: they didn't want to go head to head with the American Idol live results show. It's a smart move, especially since so many Christians are watching the show to root for Danny Gokey and Kris Allen.

And let's be honest: media at the Doves is backstage, stuck in a cramped press room. We don't get to actually see the show; there is a TV that is on at the beginning, but the focus is on photo opps and quick Q&A time with the presenters and performers. In the past, I've pretty much come home with a cool list of "heard backstage" quotes, but when I factored in two more days away from work and the cost of staying, I just couldn't do it.

I do wish I was there. The list of presenters is really good and I know it would be a good event to cover. But sometimes we just have to make choices. So rather than being away from my family for two more days, and spending more money on those two nights than I did on GMA week, I'm sitting at my computer with my cat on my lap and my dogs at my feet. I hope you can forgive me.

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