Culture Chronicle

Mayor's Film Office Recast as King-Of-All-Media Effort
Crain's New York Business - July 30, 2010
By Matthew Flamm

Newly dubbed Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment to go beyond film permits and try to persuade all sorts of digital media companies to come to NY.

New York City government has put all of its media-business-development operations into one basket.

The Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting, which for more than 40 years has overseen shooting permits and tried to make the city a more attractive place for producers to work, has become part of a newly created Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the formation of the new office by executive order on Friday.

Part of the mayor's long-stated goal of streamlining city agencies and their operations, the initiative also takes into account the broader role digital media now plays in government's communications with the public. In addition to Film, Theater and Broadcasting, the new entity includes NYC Media--the city's television, radio and online network--and the Office of Digital Coordination.

According to Friday's announcement, one aim of the new agency will be to use social media and other digital tools to provide more transparency into city government and enhance communication with the public. For the full article, click here