Oliver named to NY commish post
Bloomberg recruits from his media org
|
Oliver, who worked within Bloomberg's media empire for nearly a decade, last served as General Manager of Bloomberg Radio and TV Intl. She replaces Patricia Scott, who was commissioner for eight years under Mayor Rudy Guiliani and seven years under Mayor Edward Koch.
The selection of Oliver took many observers by surprise since she is not considered a film insider and, despite her TV and broadcasting background, lacks experience in the Gotham production world.
But Oliver faces broader challenges than just her learning curve. The Gotham production community, particularly in the low-budget sector, continues to struggle. Last year's numbers show New York production already slipping from the historic levels reached in 1998. Shooting days were 22,800 in '98 compared to 15,000 in 1993. However, they were down to 21,300 in 2000. Economic impact was estimated as $5.9 billion in '98, slipping to $5.6 billion in 2000.
"It is an important and exciting time to develop the entertainment industry here in New York City and we have so much to offer the production community," said commissioner Oliver. "Our work with the industry plays an important role in marketing and promoting New York throughout the world, and to have the opportunity to serve in my hometown, and to work with this administration, is truly a great honor."
The new commissioner, who will be charged with coordinating police and production assistance, issuing film permits and serving as the titular head of Gotham production, said she would sit down with members of the industry over the coming weeks and brain storm about such problems as runaway production. She will also review the film permit process, which many producers have derided as obsolete. "The goal is to make doing business in New York easier," she said. "We want repeat business. It's about making the customer happy."
Oliver added that she plans to take advantage of the fact that the world is feeling sentimental about New York.
At least one insider, Alan Suna, CEO of Silvercup Studios, hopes Oliver will reach out to the community, calling for her to "form and use an advisory counsel that has representatives from all aspects of the entertainment business."
Bloomberg praised the work Scott has done for the city but said that sometimes term limits are a good thing.
"As one of the world's largest international production sites, our city offers an unrivaled talent pool of over 100,000 New Yorkers, and 300 square miles of cinematic locations," said Bloomberg. "New York's entertainment industry is a vital economic engine, and now more than ever, it is paramount that we make doing business in our city as attractive as possible. From years of working with Katherine, I am confident that she has the professional and personal understanding of the challenges the industry faces in today's competitive market and will work creatively to assure that New York City remains the ultimate 'location.'"
Oliver was GM of Bloomberg radio and TV Intl. from 1996 to the present. She managed a staff of approximately 400 working at broadcast operations in 25 cities worldwide, which ran Bloomberg's ten channels in seven different languages. She started at Bloomberg LP in 1992, helping to launch its radio station WBBR in '93 and its TV programming in '94.
Prior her tenure at Bloomberg, Oliver was a radio and TV reporter for CNBC, Financial News Network, WABC and 1010 Wins. She served as a professor at New York University's School of Journalism from 1994-6.
