LOS ANGELES (AP) - Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has named a prominent entertainment lawyer to advise City Hall on strategies to stop an exodus of film and TV production jobs.
Garcetti said in a statement Monday that Ken Ziffren will be a leader in the fight against other states and countries that poach Los Angeles production business.
He adds that Ziffren will recommend ways to streamline government so red tape doesn’t turn away production.
The city has seen entertainment industry jobs flee for years as companies seek out lower costs elsewhere.
The mayor’s office says there were 45 big-budget feature films in 2012 and 2013, but only one was shot exclusively in California.
From 2005 to 2013, California’s share of the one-hour TV series market declined to 28 percent from 64 percent.
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