Garcetti Takes Latest Step To Keep TV Pilots In LA

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Mayor Eric Garcetti signed an ordinance Friday that waives city fees for filming TV pilots in Los Angeles.

Under the ordinance - which Garcetti worked to develop as a Councilmember to protect production jobs - all city fees for TV pilots and first-year series with substantial production occurring in Los Angeles will be waived.

The waiver only applies to first-year series if the production was expected to go into a second year.

"Our economy is my top priority, and the entertainment industry generates more than 500,000 jobs in L.A. Focusing on TV pilots not only supports a key part of the industry, it can lead to long-term dividends if a series gets picked up," said Garcetti. "This isn't about the stars on the screen but carpenters, caterers, and electricians and the stores they shop in."

A typical pilot directly employs an average of 150 people for the duration of the project, according to the mayor's office.

In the 2012-2013 development cycle, Los Angeles hosted 96 pilots, which created an estimated 14,400 direct production jobs. The average television series spends $100,000 to $250,000 per day during production and each entertainment industry job created generates 2.7 additional jobs, according to Film L.A.

The City Council voted unanimously in favor of the ordinance in February, but former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa did not sign it before he left office earlier in July.

Last month, Garcetti appointed former MPAA chief Tom Sherak as the director of the city's Entertainment Industry and Production office.

A report from City Chief Adminstrative Officer Miguel Santana released earlier this year estimated waiving the fees could cost the city $230,000 a year in revenues, while losses related to first-year production waivers could reach "an unknown larger amount."