April 1, 2008 – On Monday, April 14, the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting will present “Behind the Lens: An In Depth Look at the Business of Media.” The panel will take place at the Time Warner Center and will explore various non-production career paths for young people and other professionals new to the media industry.

A range of panelists will convene to discuss the corporate side of the entertainment industry. The panelists will share their experiences working in New York City, examining the industry from different perspectives. This is the first panel from the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting about non-production media jobs in the city.

Commissioner Katherine Oliver will moderate the panel with a Q&A session and reception to follow.

Panelists include:

Miguel Ferrer, Director of Programming, AOL Latino and AOL Mexico

Jackie Glover, Vice President, Documentary Programming, HBO

Meg Simon, Vice President, Casting, Warner Bros. Television

William Thompson, Executive Vice President, Co-General Sales Manager, Picturehouse

“There is a wealth of career opportunities in the film and television industry beyond those in front of and behind the cameras. New York City offers a thriving business entertainment sector, and this panel serves to shed light on these often unexplored occupations,” said Katherine Oliver, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting. “Our local entertainment industry employs 100,000 New Yorkers and contributes $5 billion to our economy on an annual basis, and as we attract new production business to the City and create new jobs through the ‘Made in NY’ incentive program, we are working to ensure that a diverse group of New Yorkers have access to these positions, through programs such as this panel.”

Doors open at 5:30pm; the panel will begin at 6pm. Seating for the panel is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. The panel will take place at Time Warner’s Corporate Headquarters One Time Warner Center, 10th Floor Conference Center. Enter via the corporate entrance on 58th Street between 8th & 9th Avenues. Check-in will take place at the event check-in desk in the corporate lobby.

RSVP by sending an email to rsvp@film.nyc.gov by Friday, April 11th. Panelists are subject to change.