NBC's NY 70 to Shoot in N.Y.

NBC Universal Television Group president Jeff Zucker will announce Thursday that a drama pilot, NY 70, will be shot in New York instead of Canada, as originally planned.

According to Zucker, NBC U was going to shoot the pilot for the show up north instead because of the production costs, but has decided to shoot in the city now that the City Council has provided an additional tax-break incentive.

The bill, which adds a 5% tax break to the current 10% already offered New York producers, covers sets, costumes, locations, equipment, caterers, actors and editors and could save production companies up to $12.5 million. NBC already co-produces all its Law & Order shows in the city.

"There's no media company that enjoys a longer or more storied relationship with New York City than NBCU," Zucker plans to tell a gathering at City Hall Thusday to announce the pilot. "The passage of this bill builds our combined and future story by better positioning us to bring projects to the City.  This bill allows creative considerations  to play a leading role in our company's decision-making process on where our television series and films are shot."

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.