Media Capital

As a man who knew Burbank and NBC well once said, “Thanks for the memories.” The news this week that NBC will move its operations to Universal City by 2011 was enough to stir up memories of the rich history in the studio’s 56 years in Burbank. Johnny, Jay, Ellen, “Days of Our Lives,” Elvis, all came into our homes from the studios on Alameda Avenue, helping NBC to transform Burbank from an aviation town to the “media capital of the world.

There's a reason they call Burbank the Media Capital of the World. With its movie and television studios, it's the epicenter of the entertainment world. But let's face it. The real media these days is very much driven by cyberspace and the Internet, which is changing the way we receive our entertainment, do our jobs and communicate with each other. Burbank has a chance to use this technology to affirm its prominence as this Media Capital while narrowing the digital divide.

B urbank may be the "media capital of the world," but talks of creating a plan to market the city as a tourist destination is a bit reaching. We do have Bob Hope Airport generating a steady supply of incoming travelers, but their destination typically falls outside this city's boundaries, especially for leisure — Anaheim, Hollywood, Pasadena and the beaches all dominate in this category. While it's a noble idea to try and capture a piece of those tourist dollars, this is a plan that falls squarely with the hotels that would benefit most from its success.

BURBANK — Move over, Hollywood — the media capital is getting ready to honor its stars. The Burbank Chamber of Commerce wants to honor past and contemporary famous individuals who have lived or worked in Burbank with a wall or walk of fame. Resident and Heritage Commission Commissioner Art Solis proposed the idea after noticing other cities doing it. “I started looking at cities all over the world online and to my amazement found that several small cities have an area designated to honor residents, whether they be athletes, actors, musicians or philosophers,” said Solis, who completed a year and a half of research before approaching the chamber.

CITY CENTER — Burbank’s official website — a quilt of ad hoc fonts, logos and colors against a white page — shed its drab skin Tuesday, initiating a new online presence that city officials said was more reflective of the “Media Capital of the World.” “Looking at our old website, who would have believed that?” said Public Information Officer Keith Sterling. “The website is our front door, the first image people see of us around the world.

On Sept. 19, Burbank City Councilman David Gordon suggested an agenda item come back for discussion regarding citywide WiFi access, which met with strong support from Mayor Todd Campbell and Councilman Jef Vander Borght. This is a great idea. The Downtown hotspot has been a tremendous success and to be able to expand these WiFi hotspots citywide to encompass the Empire Center and Magnolia Park would be a win-win for both residents and businesses. This comes on the footsteps of a presentation last month from our Public Information Office that revealed plans to make available downloadable archived Web video from council meetings by agenda item, so that the many busy Burbank residents, parents and media professionals who don't have time to watch four- to five-hour meetings can review items of interest in their spare time.

Jackson Bell The weekly installments of the Outdoor Picture Show are almost attracting more people than it can handle. The chairs and bleachers set up for last week's screening of "Independence Day" quickly filled up, leaving others searching for any available spot to view the movie. Drawing about 1,200 locals on average, the Outdoor Picture Show begins at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays at the IKEA Plaza at the Media City Center, 600 N. San Fernando Blvd.

Gary Moskowitz MEDIA DISTRICT NORTH -- John Neubauer will not miss the typically harsh Chicago winter this year. Neubauer recently moved from the Windy City to the media capital of the world when he became the new choral director at Burbank High School in August. Despite being far from friends and family in the Midwest, Neubauer -- whose vocal students teamed with John Burroughs High School vocal students for a performance at City Hall Sept.

BURBANK — NBC said good night to Burbank on Thursday, leaving some residents and city officials wary of its absence and others excited about new and different possibilities. The 56-year relationship between NBC and Burbank is coming to an end, as the studio plans to move its operations to Universal City in 2011, officials announced. The move will include “The Tonight Show” studios and all news operations, including KNBC, Spanish language television KVEA and “Access Hollywood,” NBC announced.

BURBANK — NBC said good night to Burbank on Thursday. The 56-year relationship between NBC and Burbank is coming to an end, as the studio plans to move its operations to Universal City in 2011, officials announced. The move will include “The Tonight Show” studios and all news operations, including KNBC, Spanish-language television KVEA and “Access Hollywood,” NBC announced. The network plans to build a multilevel, environmentally friendly production facility across the street from Universal Studios.

The city's major hotels could soon end up playing a greater role in marketing Burbank as a tourist stop under a proposal at City Hall that has industry support. The creation of a tourism business improvement district, in which the hotels would charge an additional fee, usually 1% or 2%, on customers to promote local attractions and tourism also has strong backing on the City Council. That body voted 4-1 last week to move forward with the proposal. More than 50 California cities have launched similar districts and 16 others are in the works, according to a city report that also found more than half the hoteliers in Burbank favor the idea.

B urbank may be the "media capital of the world," but talks of creating a plan to market the city as a tourist destination is a bit reaching. We do have Bob Hope Airport generating a steady supply of incoming travelers, but their destination typically falls outside this city's boundaries, especially for leisure — Anaheim, Hollywood, Pasadena and the beaches all dominate in this category. While it's a noble idea to try and capture a piece of those tourist dollars, this is a plan that falls squarely with the hotels that would benefit most from its success.

CITY HALL — Burbank officials are preparing a list of 28 projects, totaling about $40 million, that is expected to help obtain federal funding. The list is part of the annual federal lobbying effort in which Washington lawmakers review requests made by local leaders in their districts, Deputy City Manager Justin Hess said. Approved by the City Council Tuesday, it was also the earliest send-off in the city’s history as officials try to edge out competition in the crowded race for federal funding to supplement local spending.

CITY CENTER — Burbank’s official website — a quilt of ad hoc fonts, logos and colors against a white page — shed its drab skin Tuesday, initiating a new online presence that city officials said was more reflective of the “Media Capital of the World.” “Looking at our old website, who would have believed that?” said Public Information Officer Keith Sterling. “The website is our front door, the first image people see of us around the world.

BURBANK ? The city is updating its eight-year-old website to make it more interactive in an effort to better engage residents, officials said. The overhaul, which has a budget of about $47,000, is expected to be up and running by the end of spring, city project manager Sana Ford said. Vision Internet, the company hired to do the overhaul, specializes in government websites. ?Rather than forcing people to understand how government works to find information, we want to make using our site a pleasant and informative experience,?

BURBANK — Move over, Hollywood — the media capital is getting ready to honor its stars. The Burbank Chamber of Commerce wants to honor past and contemporary famous individuals who have lived or worked in Burbank with a wall or walk of fame. Resident and Heritage Commission Commissioner Art Solis proposed the idea after noticing other cities doing it. “I started looking at cities all over the world online and to my amazement found that several small cities have an area designated to honor residents, whether they be athletes, actors, musicians or philosophers,” said Solis, who completed a year and a half of research before approaching the chamber.

BURBANK — NBC said good night to Burbank on Thursday, leaving some residents and city officials wary of its absence and others excited about new and different possibilities. The 56-year relationship between NBC and Burbank is coming to an end, as the studio plans to move its operations to Universal City in 2011, officials announced. The move will include “The Tonight Show” studios and all news operations, including KNBC, Spanish language television KVEA and “Access Hollywood,” NBC announced.

As a man who knew Burbank and NBC well once said, “Thanks for the memories.” The news this week that NBC will move its operations to Universal City by 2011 was enough to stir up memories of the rich history in the studio’s 56 years in Burbank. Johnny, Jay, Ellen, “Days of Our Lives,” Elvis, all came into our homes from the studios on Alameda Avenue, helping NBC to transform Burbank from an aviation town to the “media capital of the world.

BURBANK — NBC said good night to Burbank on Thursday. The 56-year relationship between NBC and Burbank is coming to an end, as the studio plans to move its operations to Universal City in 2011, officials announced. The move will include “The Tonight Show” studios and all news operations, including KNBC, Spanish-language television KVEA and “Access Hollywood,” NBC announced. The network plans to build a multilevel, environmentally friendly production facility across the street from Universal Studios.