华盛顿拟用地铁站命名权换钱

美国首都华盛顿公共交通运营方近日宣布，他们将面向商业企业出售该市86个地铁站的命名权，以填补其资金缺口。华盛顿市地铁发言人表示，他们今年面临约7200万美元的资金缺口，因此一直在寻找能够减少赤字的好办法，而出售地铁站命名权就是他们想到的一个好主意。网友戏称，白宫附近的麦佛森广场站（McPherson Square）可以卖给麦当劳，以后就可以叫做巨无霸-麦佛森广场站（Big-MacPherson Square）。其实，华盛顿并不是这一做法的先行者。迪拜在2009年当地地铁开始运营前就已将21个地铁站十年的命名权出售，获益4.9亿美元；费城也曾将该市一个站的命名权以300万美元的价格卖给了电信巨头AT&T。

Bosses at Washington's cash-strapped public transportation service are mulling selling "naming rights" for Metro stations as a way of filling a budget gap, a spokesman said Friday.

"We're looking at a possible $72 million shortfall in our budget for the upcoming year, and so we're looking for creative ways to try to close that deficit," Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel told AFP.

"One idea would be station naming rights," where corporate entities buy the right to have their brand associated with one of Metro's 86 stations.

Facebook and Twitter erupted with suggestions when the announcement was made.

McDonald's could sponsor McPherson Square near the White House, one Metro rider suggested. It could become Big-MacPherson Square.

Wheaton, in the Maryland suburbs, could become Wii-Wheaton if it were sponsored by the popular interactive video game. Cream of Wheaton, a play on the name of a hot breakfast cereal, has also been suggested.

The suggestions may have been tongue-in-cheek but the idea is not far-fetched.

Dubai sold 10-year naming rights to 21 out of 23 stations in its Metro system for 1.8 billion dirham ($490 million). Most of the rights were sold before the system became operational in 2009.

Philadelphia has sold telecoms giant AT&T the rights to a station for $3 million, and Barclays can append its name to a station in Brooklyn, New York after buying the naming rights reportedly for $4 million for 20 years.

In Washington, Metro thinks selling station naming rights will help to raise around two million dollars.

But talk about selling naming rights to Metro stations in the US capital is still in the very early stages, Taubenkibel said.