CAMPAIGN ’88 : Pauley Pavilion Picked as Site for Next Debate

UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion will be the location of next week’s debate between George Bush and Michael S. Dukakis, the sponsor announced Friday after rejecting a demand by the League of Women Voters that $90,000 be paid for the right to use its reservation at Shrine Auditorium, the original choice.

The Commission on Presidential Debates, which took over sponsorship of the debate after the league withdrew in protest over ground rules, said the second and final face-off between the candidates will take place either Thursday or Friday, depending on how long the American League baseball playoffs last.

The 90-minute exchange, using the same format of journalists questioning the candidates before invited guests, will begin at 6 p.m.

Pauley Pavilion, home of UCLA basketball, normally seats 10,337, but substantially fewer spectators are expected to be on hand after the gym is converted into a giant television studio.

The commission announced its decision after ignoring a late-hour plea from league officials to work out a solution involving both use of the Shrine Auditorium and a payment covering the league’s $40,000 rental of the hall and $50,000 in planning expenses for the debate.

“I’m very disappointed there was no response,” said the league’s executive director, Grant Thompson. He said the league--which had angered the commission for criticizing the way it handled the first debate in Winston-Salem, N.C.--hoped to receive a refund from the Shrine Auditorium.