From WJHG.

Is college spring break helpful or harmful? It's a big money maker, but critics say it discourages families from coming to the beaches.

MTV-U attracts hundreds of thousands of spring breakers each year and puts over $800,000 into Bay County and the City of Panama City Beach's pockets.

Some say college Spring break is a double-edged sword. On one end, you have the economic impact. On the other, you have the reputation that goes along with it.

Spring Break 2009 brought deaths, car accidents, balcony falls, and a number of alcohol-related incidents to Bay County.

"We've got people moving out. People that live there and are moving out of Panama City Beach because of it," Pastor Greg Aldridge, of Cornerstone Family Fellowship Church said.

Tourism officials are considering getting rid of MTV-U and using that $200,000 in marketing elsewhere.

TDC officials say MTV-U wanted to shoot a few reality shows that would shed a bad light on Panama City Beach and would highlight students getting drunk.

"It's not because we didn't drive a lot of business to the beach. It's been very difficult for us to maintain our brand and protect Panama City Beach," Dan Rowe, TDC President said.

"Were going to be throwing that money away if we turned it around and hand it back to MTV-U and come in and have the issues that we had this past year," Marty McDaniel, CVB Chairman said.

Some suggest letting private businesses such as the super clubs drive college spring break and not the Tourist Development Council.

"I really believe if we start to bring families here we will turn around our reputation," Linda Cope, a concerned resident said.

"And I think if we change the paradigm where we are a resort first that attracts spring breakers that is a huge step," Rowe said.

A huge step for officials to promote Panama City Beach as a family-friendly place instead of a Spring break hot spot.

Its only spring break 3-4 weeks a year and allot of famailys dont want to go this time of year anyway due to it not being red hot and the oceons too cold for some. i dont see the harm in us having our fun for that month then handing it back to the family friendly place the other 11 months of the year.

Well it happend to daytona beach in the 90's, daytona used to be the place where MTV filmed a lot also, hell I remember going there in high school on spring break. Now........... the place is certainly NOT a spring break hot spot!! Hopefully pcb doesn't end up like that!

I get a kick out of these articles. First off. For the people who live here. If they hate spring breakers so much.. Go live in the city! There are plenty of beaches around...You are not forced to deal with them.

Second off. Right now it's just families here. Spring Break is over. You wanna know how many hours I work this week? Less then half of what I got during spring break. So yeah families are really driving the business around here (Not saying all business are taking a hit. But most are)

And as Trig said. It's 3-4 weeks out of the year. People wouldn't even know what the hell PCB is if it was not for spring break. I remember sitting on my sofa as a young kid watching "The grind" SB97 or whatever saying "Damn I wanna go there! Here I am years later working there haha.

Yes spring breakers brings problems. Tons of them! But it's a small %. I deal with literally thousands of on a daily bases. And most of them are pretty cool. Just wanting to have fun. And this past spring break has been pretty calm for the mass size we had.

Yes spring break deffinatly has its positive effects in makeing people aware of the place i came from England and met people from germany , sweeden , Australia , New zealand , France that had travelled over after reading about the place online , These people will go home with good words to say about the town to there friends and family in these countries which will spread the word and in time with the opening of the international airport people from allover the world visit Panama city not ust for sprpring break and it would put pcb on the map with the likes of Miami and Orlando as a huge florida vacation resort in world terms. make all those 100s of condo resorts they built that are currently not needed, Full!

Shut the **** UP old people and bible beaters. Money talks, if Panama City Beach tosses MTV-U I'm sure that in this tough economic time another beach would love to pick it up. But as said before I dont believe that MTV-U draws spring breakers as much as it used to.

it would be just like daytona in the 90's and Fort Lauderdale in the 80's, those were the hot spots then......if p.c.b doesnt want it, im sure someone else would pick it up

im sure key west would like to be bigger during spring break and im sure south padre island wouldn't mind either.....and besides, im sure ggw is praying for a diff hot spot since they are banned from p.c.b

Daytona still survives because they have Daytona International Speedway, the big bike week, and Universal and Disney(and the other parks) near by. Panama City has spring break and well...nothing for the families other than Gulf World...and Gulf World is alright, but well, it's Gulf World. Panama City's economy will hurt if it wasn't for spring break.

why not with 200k book all the acts independantly and have them play full sets and not **** the people around with the 100 takes of crowd cheering before they come out!

^ true that

PCB is not thinking well right now at all.....Im sure the super clubs would hate to lose the 10's of thousands they make a night on SPB.I alone Spent 125,170,150,200 four nights at Spinnakers,not to mention how much money we all spent at Wal-mart and other places in that city.And somebody tell me if im wrong but the money people make on SPB they can live off for awhile in PCB..lol

Yea the taxi driver who took us to airport said money he makes over spring break he saves and he can take all winter off comfortably haha. Mtv really doesnt slighty make spring break though and if it costs them 200k to get mtvu i would spend it on booking there own things , Call it the spring break festival or something and just have tonnes good acts on the beach playing good 45-60 min sets not 3-4 songs and if there booking things themselves they can avoid the thug acts that attracting the sort of people they say they dont want. Even put a charge or something to get into the stage area a certain price for a week for extra revenue .