Mayor Eric Garcetti urges CBS to bring next ‘Late Show’ to L.A.

Taking a page from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Mayor Eric Garcetti urged CBS Chief Executive Les Moonves to consider Los Angeles as the new home for its next late-night comedy show.

“As a longtime fan, I was saddened to hear of David Letterman’s retirement,” Garcetti said in a letter to Moonves on Thursday after the comedian told a “Late Show” audience at the Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan that he would retire next year.

“But as Mayor of Los Angeles, I am excited for the opportunity to encourage you to bring CBS’ next late night show to our city -- the entertainment capital of the world,” Garcetti added.

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The mayor and other film industry supporters are still smarting from NBC’s decision to move “The Tonight Show” this year from Burbank back to New York after more than four decades in Southern California, a move that cost more than 150 jobs locally and symbolized the region’s vulnerability to runaway production. NBC took advantage of tax breaks offered by New York state to lure more film and TV production.

“I have made the entertainment industry a key priority for my administration,” Garcetti said. “It’s a critical component to our city’s economy and identity. I created the Mayor’s Office of Motion Picture and Television Production, and under the leadership of Ken Ziffren, we are aggressively seeking to encourage more production here in Los Angeles by cutting red tape, lending proactive assistance, and by furthering public policy to compete with the financial incentives offered by other states.”

He added: “I look forward to speaking with you about the possibility of bringing the successor to Mr. Letterman’s show to Los Angeles.”

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