MAYOR PROPOSES SELLING NAMING RIGHTS TO CITY'S RIVERS

PITTSBURGH --- In an effort to lift Pittsburgh out of the "distressed" city category, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl plans to sell the naming rights to the city's rivers for tens of millions of dollar. Ravenstahl made the proposal before a packed City Council Chamber during his 2010 budget address.

"Let's face it, very few people can actually say 'Monongahela,' let alone spell it," the mayor said today. " I suggest we give local corporations and individuals the opportunity to re-name the river for a ten- or twenty-year period in exchange for a sizable fee. Something like 'UPMC River' just rolls right off the tongue," Ravenstahl said, although the mayor quickly added that he had not received any inquiries from the hospital system.

"The Allegheny River probably won't bring as much --- it's always the last one you think of when you list the three of them. But my administration believes it could be a great opportunity for a smaller company to really raise their profile in the community."

Marketing expert Robert Brenneman is unsure the plan will work. "Naming rights have been very lucrative in the sports world, but not many cities have tried this," Brenneman said. "There could be a backlash. People are used to those names, and they might not want to switch."

Ravenstahl said he has already anticipated the possible problem of renaming the Ohio River, since it continues into other states. "Instead of re-naming it, we will market it as, 'The Ohio River, as presented by [your name here].'"