Budget impasse in Annapolis threatens thriving local TV industry

Productions like 'VEEP' and 'House of Cards' may go elsewhere if incentives go away

In some cases, it will take two to three years before any money goes out of the state coffers to HBO or Media Rights Capital, the production company making "House of Cards" for Netflix, even though they have been spending here since the day they arrived for pre-production and location scouting.

Talk about a near-instant economy-starting and job-providing program.

"Before this, I had to go out of town to find work, which is very disconcerting because there was no work here the last few years," said Fran Gerlach, a Baltimore resident and member of Local 487 of IAETSE, the union that represents painters, carpenters, electricians, set dressers, grips and wardrobe workers.

"But it wasn't happening before incentives, I can tell you that," she said in a recent interview during a break on the "House of Cards" soundstages in Joppa.

"'House of Cards' coming here means tens of thousands of dollars to us," says Bryan Koerber, owner of Budeke's Paints & Decorating, one of the Baltimore companies that has been a supplier for the production. "It keeps people employed. It keeps our trucks on the road. It keeps our products flowing."

All the spin out of Annapolis, as the various political players try to explain how we wound up with a "doomsday" budget that was never supposed to go into effect, sounds weak, tinny and even false by comparison, doesn't it?

[e-mail]

twitter.com/davidzurawik

Recent tweets from Baltimore Sun media and television critic David Zurawik:

Follow David Zurawik on Twitter | Read David Zurawik's blog, Z on TV | Read David Zurawik's bio

Text NIGHTLIFE to 70701 to sign up for Baltimore Sun nightlife and music text alerts