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Friday, Nov 8, 2024

The Digest

More Turbulence at Burbank Airport A compromise proposal to build a new terminal at Burbank Airport may be stalled once again. The Burbank Airport Authority agreed to a request by the Burbank City Council to cut the size of the proposed terminal from 330,000 square feet to 275,000 square feet. But the authority rejected the council’s request that it limit the noise footprint (the area where jet noise exceeds 65 decibels) to 290 acres, its current size. The city is trying to renegotiate a compromise deal it reached with the airport authority last August. The two sides then agreed to a 14-gate, 330,000-square-foot terminal to replace the existing 180,000-square-foot building. The city has since proposed scaling it back to 250,000 square feet to lessen opposition from Burbank and L.A. residents living near the airport. The city’s proposal would bar construction of the new terminal unless a mandatory overnight curfew is in place. It also would allow a later expansion to 280,000 square feet and 16 gates in return for strict limits on noise. City officials said the proposal would allow the airport to handle 6.7 million passengers annually rather than the 4.7 million who currently pass through. Studio Giants Sue Small Firm Walt Disney Co., Time Warner Inc. and 10 other entertainment companies filed a lawsuit against an Agoura Hills Internet firm that allows users to record television shows and watch them on their computers. RecordTV.com, a small firm started three months ago with no outside funding, runs a free site that has attracted 100,000 users despite poor and erratic service. The entertainment companies want the site shut down, saying it violates copyright laws, and are seeking $10 million in damages. Padilla Accused of Ethics Violations A former aide to City Councilman Alex Padilla filed a complaint with the city Ethics Commission over the councilman’s role in a proposed Northeast Valley redevelopment project. The allegations concern members of the Project Area Committee, an advisory group studying a proposal to create a giant redevelopment zone in the Northeast Valley. David Cervantes claims Padilla staffers last fall spent hours each week making phone calls and walking Valley streets on city time to campaign for committee candidates in favor of redevelopment. That committee recently voted to disband because members say they are hopelessly deadlocked over the project. Cervantes said he was fired after he talked about his legal and ethical concerns over the matter with another staffer. Padilla’s spokesman has denied the charges. If found to be true, the alleged actions would violate state and city election laws. Two candidates who ran for the advisory panel supported Cervantes’ claim. Transit Study in Works The Metropolitan Transportation Authority agreed to spend $500,000 on a study of traffic on the Ventura and Hollywood freeways and to apply for federal funding for transit projects in three other Los Angeles corridors. One of the projects under consideration is a dedicated bus route along Burbank and Chandler boulevards that would connect Warner Center to the new North Hollywood Red Line station. The study of a 40-mile span of the Ventura and Hollywood freeways from downtown Los Angeles to Moorpark would cost an estimated $4.5 million. Gov. Gray Davis included $3 million toward the study in his state transportation initiative. If all goes as planned, contracts for the engineering studies for the transit corridors may be awarded in November. Magic Mountain Targets Latinos With Latinos now estimated to make up nearly a third of the more than 25 million annual visitors to Southern California theme parks, Six Flags Magic Mountain wants to make sure it gets its share of this increasingly lucrative market. Spanish-language broadcaster Univision Communications Inc. and amusement park operator Six Flags announced a broad marketing agreement, a signal of growing reliance on Latinos for theme park attendance in major metropolitan areas. The arrangement calls for Los Angeles-based Univision to create a Latin festival that will tour eight U.S. Six Flags theme parks, including Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, this summer. Univision will use its clout as the United States’ largest Spanish-language broadcaster to attract stars of novelas (Spanish-language soap operas), and top Univision network talent to the tour. In return, Six Flags, owned by Premier Parks Inc. of Oklahoma City, will step up its advertising with Univision. Eventually, Six Flags parks could house Univision broadcasting sites or Univision-themed attractions.

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