NBC News paid for Ghost Ship operator’s hotel room

NBC News paid for a hotel room for the man who ran the Ghost Ship, the Oakland warehouse-turned-artists-collective that burned down Friday night, killing 36 people at an underground electronic music show. A network spokesman said NBC “absolutely” did not give money to Derick Almena in exchange for a series of exclusive interviews, but bought him a hotel room at the Oakland Marriott City Center for “a couple of nights.” The NBC spokesman did not say how much the hotel room cost, but on the Marriott’s website, a room for two adults and three children goes for around $450 a night. Numerous news agencies have been seeking to speak to Almena about the fire, but he has granted extensive interviews only to NBC.