California Strikes Back! “Heart of Hollywood” Radio Show Airs Can’t Miss Discussion About Runaway Production
Over the weekend, Joe Sutton’s radio show in Los Angeles, “The Heart of Hollywood” (on AM 1260 KGIL), featured a can’t miss hour-long discussion about runaway production, the importance of Hollywood to California and L.A., and efforts to keep the industry from leaving California. It’s a wonderful exchange loaded with very thoughtful discussion from Sutton and a panel made up of L.A. City Councilman Richard Alarcon; Producer and Co-President of the Producers Guild of America, Hawk Koch; and Ed Gutentag, founder of “Shoot Movies in California.” I was greatly impressed with all of these men, who offered intelligent, articulate and objective discourse that I really do not encounter often, if at all. Moreover, unlike the discussion from other states, there is passion in the voices of all participants for the health of the entertainment industry in their beloved home, indeed Hollywood’s own home, of California. Because of people like them, California is finally showing it’s capable of fighting back. And it’s about time. These folks know how real the threat of runaway production is and are legitimatley concerned Hollywood will become the next Detroit. Frankly, I found this exchange to be inspiring.
There was so much information and topics covered during this radio show, that it’s impossible to distill it down. You get insght on efforts being made in the state to make it more competitve as well as creating an awareness among state residents of what is at stake. It’s just a smart one-two approach that is critical for the state, and it was heartening to hear it was finally getting off the ground. The panel also talks at-length about shooting in other incentive states and the hidden costs to California when they lose this production.
A podcast of the show is now available HERE.
