Issue: Week of April 25, 2003

NY RUNAWAY PRODUCTION TASK FORCE FORMED

NEW YORK - Actors and co-presidents of The Creative Coalition Joe Pantoliano and Tony Goldwyn have formed The Creative Coalition's New York Runaway Production Task Force to combat the negative economic impact that runaway film and television production has on New York.

Runaway production, where film and television productions migrating abroad for economic reasons, costs the U.S. economy as much as $10 billion per year. New York's hotels, equipment rental facilities, hardware stores, lumber yards, caterers, dry cleaners, gas stations, restaurants and other community-based businesses all suffer economically when film and television producers forego New York to take advantage of financial incentives offered abroad. A growing trend, runaway production is damaging workers in support industries in cities and towns throughout New York.

The Task Force is working in concert with a steering committee of key entertainment industry stakeholders - from both labor and business - to develop an economic analysis and various strategies to address the impact of loss of production on New York State.