WGA strike could cost LA $20M a day

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Los Angeles' economy could lose more than $20 million a day if the writers' strike carries over into next month, the Los Angeles Times said Wednesday.

"If the strike continues it's going to have a huge impact on the local economy and middle-class jobs," FilmL.A. Inc. President Steve MacDonald told the Times.

FilmL.A. is the non-profit group that handles film permits and promotes the industry.

The Writers Guild of America went on strike Nov. 5 and although the guild and major studios are to resume negotiations Monday, the WGA has said it won't call the strike off until a deal is finalized.

Should the strike continue into next month, most of the 44 one-hour dramas and 21 sit-coms shot in Los Angeles will stop production entirely as the shows run out of fresh scripts, industry officials told the Times.

The strike could mean the loss of 15,000 jobs and $21.3 million a day in direct spending, FilmL.A warned.

The group's estimate is conservative because it doesn't calculate the impact the strike will have on restaurants, hotels and other businesses that service Hollywood.

The entertainment industry accounts for almost 7 percent of Los Angeles County's $442 billion economy.