Television Production

Television production in and around Los Angeles has continued to slide, keeping overall production numbers flat in the most recent quarter, according to a report released Tuesday from FilmL.A. Inc. The nonprofit organization, which issues permits for Los Angeles and parts of L.A. County, reported that on-location production was down 0.4% for the three months ending June 30 (11,209 permitted production days) compared with the same period in 2011 (11,260 days). Television shoots, which accounted for 30% of all production days in the quarter, showed the most worrisome decline.

Los Angeles County Supervisors are scheduled to vote Tuesday on zoning regulations that would allow NBCUniversal to expand its Hollywood theme park and add more movie and television production facilities. The company has proposed spending nearly $1.6 billion to construct nearly 2 million square feet of studio and office space at its Universal Studios Hollywood. Additions would include two 500-room hotels, a new ramp and other improvements to the 101 Freeway and a Harry Potter ride.

As dawn broke over Sacramento early Thursday morning, the State Legislature wrapped up a marathon session that finally put to bed a two-year spending plan that will bridge the state’s unprecedented $42-billion deficit caused by the global fiscal crisis. The Democrats in the Legislature, along with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a handful of courageous Republican lawmakers, put together a budget compromise that begins to lay the foundation for getting California working again. Much about the budget plan was difficult to support and undoubtedly will cause significant pain to many Californians.

Movie and television production at Bob Hope Airport has generated roughly $100,000 during the past six months for the airfield as studios use it as a backdrop - one TV series even transformed it into three airports, including one in Mumbai, India. Filming was prohibited at Bob Hope Airport after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2011, but airport officials decided to open their doors to production companies again this spring in hopes of generating needed funds as they deal with declining parking revenues and passenger counts.

The five broadcast television networks will be rolling out 23 new one-hour dramas for the upcoming season. That would normally be good business for Hollywood's hometown industry - with bookings for soundstages and plenty of work for the costumers, camera operators and caterers needed to put a show on the air. But not this year. Just two of the 23 new fall and midseason shows will be shot in Los Angeles County, as cost-conscious producers seek tax-friendly production havens in New York, North Carolina, Georgia and other states.

Warner Bros. Television Group Chief Executive Bruce Rosenblum is resigning less than six months after being passed over for the top job at the movie and television production giant. "Bruce has been a vital member of the Warner Bros. family and a good friend to so many of us, and he will be missed," new Warner Bros. Chief Executive Kevin Tsujihara and former CEO Barry Meyer said in an email to the studio's staff. Rosenblum's departure had been expected after Jeff Bewkes, the chief executive of Warner Bros.

JOYCE RUDOLPH Many of us who grew up in Burbank remember spending the summers swimming at the Pickwick pool. In an effort to preserve memories for their family's posterity, current owners Carole and Ed Stavert are on a quest to find photographs and information on Pickwick's past, prior to when their family purchased the facility in 1953. The family changed the name to Pickwick Gardens three or four years ago from Pickwick Recreation Center. When the Stavert family purchased it, it was called the Pickwick Swim Park.

YOUNG Brandi Lynn Sierakowski, the granddaughter of Sue and Larry Stamper of Burbank, and Ryan Albert Young, the son of Marsha and Robert F. Young of Morganton, N.C., have announced their engagement. The bride-to-be graduated from Burbank High School and received a bachelor's degree in liberal studies from Cal State Chico. She also received a master's degree in education from National University. She works as a literacy coach for the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The Los Angeles City Planning Commission recommended Thursday that NBCUniversal be allowed to move to the next stage of approval for a long-planned expansion at its San Fernando Valley site, after the company agreed to fund a bikeway and make other modifications to an already revised plan. The bike path along the L.A. River was a key demand of environmentalists and bicycle enthusiasts, who were among the most vocal opponents of NBCUniversal's original expansion plan. On Thursday, the movie and television production company agreed to commit more than $3.3 million for planning, construction and improvement of future bikeways between the movie studio and the waterway and bike-related facilities on nearby streets.

Burbank Councilwoman Emily Gabel-Luddy called NBCUniversal's announcement that it has dropped controversial plans to build thousands of residences on its back lot"very constructive," but said she still had concerns about the traffic impact. The new $1.6-billion proposal - which would ditch the housing for more movie and television production facilities and expand the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park - was unveiled Monday just before the release of the final environmental impact report on the company's proposal to improve the sprawling studio and tourist attraction in the San Fernando Valley.

Los Angeles County Supervisors are scheduled to vote Tuesday on zoning regulations that would allow NBCUniversal to expand its Hollywood theme park and add more movie and television production facilities. The company has proposed spending nearly $1.6 billion to construct nearly 2 million square feet of studio and office space at its Universal Studios Hollywood. Additions would include two 500-room hotels, a new ramp and other improvements to the 101 Freeway and a Harry Potter ride.

Movie and television production at Bob Hope Airport has generated roughly $100,000 during the past six months for the airfield as studios use it as a backdrop - one TV series even transformed it into three airports, including one in Mumbai, India. Filming was prohibited at Bob Hope Airport after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2011, but airport officials decided to open their doors to production companies again this spring in hopes of generating needed funds as they deal with declining parking revenues and passenger counts.

The five broadcast television networks will be rolling out 23 new one-hour dramas for the upcoming season. That would normally be good business for Hollywood's hometown industry - with bookings for soundstages and plenty of work for the costumers, camera operators and caterers needed to put a show on the air. But not this year. Just two of the 23 new fall and midseason shows will be shot in Los Angeles County, as cost-conscious producers seek tax-friendly production havens in New York, North Carolina, Georgia and other states.

Television production in and around Los Angeles has continued to slide, keeping overall production numbers flat in the most recent quarter, according to a report released Tuesday from FilmL.A. Inc. The nonprofit organization, which issues permits for Los Angeles and parts of L.A. County, reported that on-location production was down 0.4% for the three months ending June 30 (11,209 permitted production days) compared with the same period in 2011 (11,260 days). Television shoots, which accounted for 30% of all production days in the quarter, showed the most worrisome decline.

As dawn broke over Sacramento early Thursday morning, the State Legislature wrapped up a marathon session that finally put to bed a two-year spending plan that will bridge the state’s unprecedented $42-billion deficit caused by the global fiscal crisis. The Democrats in the Legislature, along with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a handful of courageous Republican lawmakers, put together a budget compromise that begins to lay the foundation for getting California working again. Much about the budget plan was difficult to support and undoubtedly will cause significant pain to many Californians.