Officials defend million-dollar price to bring Regis and Kelly to PEI

Promising a big return on investment, the provincial and federal governments are spending $1-million this summer to bring the New York talk show Live! with Regis and Kelly to Prince Edward Island. Critics are agog at the price tag, but organizers insist it’s the best advertising money can buy. More than three million viewers a day for four days straight will be treated to glowing, hour-long coverage of the gentle island’s mid-July charms. Proponents say the money is more effective than “same-old, same-old” television ads that can be easily ignored or skipped completely by viewers using personal video recorders.