May 27--EL PASO -- The city's economy is getting some air time in several major TV markets around the country thanks to a Florida production company's news videos, which air during newscasts on various cable networks, including CNN and MSNBC.

El Paso is portrayed as a "hidden gem of economic development" in the video produced by The Economic Report. The city paid $16,000 to have the video produced by the Florida production company and placed on newscasts in 15 cities.

Kathy Dodson, director of the city Department of Economic Development, said the video is a good economic development tool for the city.

The video presents a "very positive image of El Paso" at a time when violence in Juarez and the swine flu on both sides of the border are tarnishing the city's image, Dodson said.

"El Paso is doing well economically and has a lot to offer. We have to give out a positive image of El Paso," Dodson said.

The Economic Report telling El Paso's economic development story has so far aired on CNN Headline News in Detroit and on a Phoenix TV station, KAZT, the city reported. The five-minute piece is introduced by CBS Sports personality Greg Gumbel, who hosts The Economic Report, which features stories on a variety of business-related topics. El Paso was picked as part of the report's "Leaders in Economic Development" series, the city reported.

The city and the El Paso Regional Economic Development Corp., which does company recruitment for the El Paso area, selected 15 cities from

a list of 30 cities provided by The Economic Report where it wants the video to air, said Victor Venegas, a spokesman for the city Department of Economic Development.

Besides Detroit and Phoenix, the other cities are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C., Minneapolis-St. Paul, Milwaukee, Columbus, Ohio, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Albuquerque.

Those cities were selected because El Paso's economic developers think that is where companies are located that may have some interest in El Paso, Venegas said.

The Economic Report about El Paso tells about Fort Bliss growth, Downtown redevelopment, UTEP, El Paso Community College and the new Texas Tech University medical school.

The video features interviews with City Manager Joyce Wilson; Dodson; Western Refining CEO Paul Foster, who is heading an effort to redevelop the Mills Building and Plaza Hotel Downtown; Army Col. Edward Manning, Fort Bliss garrison commander; and Bob Cook, president of the El Paso Regional Economic Development Corp.

Dodson said she doesn't know whether The Economic Report's story about El Paso has brought any company inquiries to her office. Her office has been fielding a lot of calls recently from multifamily developers and alternative fuel companies, she said.

The video can be viewed on the city's Web site at: www.elpasotexas.gov/econdev/economicreport.asp

Vic Kolenc may be reached at vkolenc@elpasotimes.com; 546-6421.

For more information: www.theeconomicreport.com.

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