Can expanding CA’s film & tv tax credit revive Hollywood? Newsom gives it a go

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday announced plans to expand the state's tax credit for the film and television industry to $750 million. Film and television production in California has been slow to rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic and Hollywood strikes last year. California's current tax credit for film production is capped at $330 million. It was last expanded by the legislature in 2014. Many Hollywood stakeholders, including the permitting agency FilmLA, have supported the tax credit expansion. California has been competing more and more with other filming locations, like Georgia, New York and New Mexico. If approved by the California legislature, this would be one of the biggest film and TV tax credit programs in the nation. Some states do not place a limit on their incentive programs. The expansion will be part of Newsom's proposed budget for January, which will need to be approved by the legislature before being enacted. Joining to discuss is Ashley Cullins, dealmakers columnist for the Ankler, Kevin Klowden, executive director at Milken Institute Finance, and Colleen Bell, director of California Film Commission. If you work in the industry, we want to know your thoughts – call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.

With files from LAist

We reached out to Gov. Newsom’s office and LA Mayor Karen Bass’ office but did not hear back before the broadcast.

Parenting Series: The age of 'endless parenting'

It wasn’t that long ago that going off to college also meant cutting communication with your parents almost entirely, save a phone call here and there. Before the ubiquitous smartphone, parents and their children spoke much more infrequently, and in general, parenting adult children seemed like a relaxed backseat job. These days, parents are in the proverbial driver’s seat, more enmeshed in their adult children’s lives than ever before. What accounts for the “overparenting,” as some call it? Or the “endless parenting,” as others call it? Is it healthy or unhealthy? Joining us today on AirTalk to discuss this age of so-called endless parenting is Laurence Steinberg, professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Temple University and author of You and Your Adult Child: How to Grow Together in Challenging Times (Simon & Schuster, April 2023), and Laura Hamilton, professor of Sociology at the University of California, Merced.

SoCal History: From the Ridge Route to the Grapevine

If you’ve driven from L.A. to Bakersfield, it’s almost certain you’ve been on the Grapevine, the notorious section of Interstate 5 that snakes through the San Gabriel and Tehachapi mountains. What many may not know is that the Grapevine is the third or fourth iteration of a road that has guided travelers through the mountains since the early 1900s. Originally called Ridge Route, the road was meant to unite the northern and southern parts of California. It opened up a major trade route for the state as well and would eventually be expanded from two lanes, to three lanes and eventually, to a major six-lane artery between Southern California and the Central Valley. Joining us today on AirTalk to talk about the history and future of the Grapevine is Harrison Scott, author of Ridge Route: The Road That United California and Sydney Croasmun, public relations director at The Ridge Route Preservation Organization.

From Marilyn Monroe’s personal driver to becoming a legendary agent who helped shape Hollywood

Norman Brokaw served as an agent to some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, including Marilyn Monroe, Kim Novak, Elvis (and Colonel Parker), Natalie Wood, Clint Eastwood, Bill Cosby, and Brooke Shields. But his trajectory to this position was anything but ordinary. He went from mailroom clerk to Marilyn Monroe’s personal driver to CEO of the William Morris Agency. Today on AirTalk, we talk about the influence he had on Hollywood and the learning lessons that could still apply today. Joining to discuss is Joel Brokaw, son of Norman Brokaw and author of Driving Marilyn: The Life and Times of Legendary Hollywood Agent Norman Brokaw.