- Two former "Apprentice" producers were tapped to help plan the 2020 Republican National Convention, Politico and The New York Times reported Saturday.
- Sadoux Kim and Chuck Labella have each been paid tens of thousands of dollars by the Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 Republican National Convention, according to The Times.
- Politico reported that this year's convention will rely on slick video production, both pre-taped and live speeches, and will focus on non-politicians "to make it a gripping TV show."
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The 2020 Republican National Convention is being planned with the help of two former producers of NBC's "Apprentice," Politico and The New York Times reported Saturday evening.
Sadoux Kim, a former employee of "Apprentice" producer Mark Burnett, has been tapped as a lead consultant, according to The Times. Chuck Labella, another former "Apprentice" producer was reported last month to be on the RNC's payroll.
Politico reported that this year's convention planners essentially had to start from scratch, planning out the entire convention in just four weeks, when it normally takes at least a year to plan.
This year's convention was initially slated to occur in Jacksonville, Florida, but had to be reimagined in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The planners were left with no set budget, no lineup of speakers, and no venue, and had to plan an entirely new four-day event from scratch, according to Politico.
The convention will now be held as a scaled-back live event in Charlotte, North Carolina. It will run from Monday, August 24 to Thursday, August 28.
Among the contributions from the former "Apprentice" producers were the decisions that the convention should rely on sophisticated video production, both pre-taped and live speeches, and focus on non-politicians, Politico reported, adding that "the goal was to make it a gripping TV show."
The Times reported that Labella, through a company he owns, has been paid more than $81,000 in consulting fees by the Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 Republican National Convention. Kim's production firm has reportedly been paid more than $54,000 from the same committee.
The newspaper reported that Kim was not well-known in the TV industry, and that several former "Apprentice" producers said they had never heard of him before.
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