Executive Order 21 | City of New York

July 21, 2022

Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment

WHEREAS, New York City is an international center of media and entertainment, and the continued health and development of all forms of media and entertainment are vital to the economic success and cultural identity of New York City; and

WHEREAS, there is a need for uniform operation of the City’s diverse media and entertainment functions, including operation of the City’s own media assets; encouragement and development of local economic activity by the film, television, theatre, music, digital content production and distribution, advertising, and publishing sectors; and encouragement and development of new media technologies; and

WHEREAS, the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment was established in 2010 to ensure that the City’s media and entertainment services are well-coordinated to maximize opportunities in the most efficient and cost-effect manner, by coordinating a range of media-and entertainment-related responsibilities under one office; and

WHEREAS, Local Law No. 178 of 2017 created the Office of Nightlife, to be located within the Office of the Mayor or within any agency that does not conduct enforcement against nightlife establishment; and

WHEREAS, Local Law 46 of 2021 transferred the duty to issue press credentials from the New York City Police Department to the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment;

NOW, THEREFORE, by the power vested in me as Mayor of the City of New York, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.        The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (“MOME”) shall continue and be organized as set forth herein.

§ 2.      MOME shall consist of: the Film Office (also known as Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting or “MOFTB”), NYC Media, the Office of Nightlife, the Press Credentials Office, and an office to coordinate creative sector programs and activities.  

§ 3.      MOME shall be headed by a Commissioner, to be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Mayor. To preserve the regulatory jurisdiction of the Film Office, the Commissioner of MOME shall be an employee of the Department of Small Business Services (“DSBS”). Staff assigned to MOME shall be employees of the Office of Technology and Innovation (“OTI”), except as provided in this section. Notwithstanding the Commissioner’s status as a DSBS employee, the Commissioner of MOME shall have all the powers ordinarily assigned to an agency head, including, but not limited to, the authority to make and execute contracts; provide agency head approval, as permitted, for a position, conduct or activities otherwise prohibited by Chapter 68 of the City Charter with respect to staff assigned to MOME; and hire, terminate, and manage all staff assigned to MOME, including but not limited to designating and delegating duties to such staff. The Commissioner of MOME shall report to the Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development.

§ 4.      The Commissioners of MOME and OTI shall consult with and work closely together on administrative and operational priorities. OTI shall provide administrative and technical support to MOME, including staffing, human resources, and labor relations; general financial services support, including budget, payroll, procurement, and payables/receivables; and technical support, including desktop, network, and fiber/wireless communications. Additional assistance to MOME may be provided by DSBS or any other appropriate agency as may be agreed to from time to time.

§ 5.      All City government departments and offices shall be as cooperative as possible in connection with permits requested and issued pursuant to Title 43, Chapter 9 of the Rules of the City of New York, and all agency heads must designate at least one staff liaison and an alternate with the authority to expedite and coordinate arrangements with the Film Office.

§ 6.      The Film Office’s function of issuing all permits required for film, television, and other audio-visual production and for still photography shoots in New York City shall remain in DSBS. The Film Office shall:

1. Issue premiere permits for entertainment events, consistent with Title 43, Chapter 8 of the Rules of the City of New York;
2. Issue permits required for film, television, and other audio-visual production and for still photography shoots in New York City, consistent with Title 43, Chapter 9 of the Rules of the City of New York;
3. Provide information and assistance necessary to enable creators and producers of film, television, and other audio-visual content to operate in New York City; and
4. Perform such other functions as are deemed necessary by the Commissioner of MOME to facilitate the production of entertainment events and film, television, and other audio-visual content in New York City.

§ 7.      NYC Media shall:

1. Serve as the official television, radio and cable network of the City of New York;
2. Develop, produce, broadcast, cablecast, and otherwise distribute programmatic content for and about New York City; and
3. Perform such other functions as are deemed necessary by the Commissioner of MOME to facilitate the development and dissemination of programmatic content for and about New York City.

§ 8.      The Office of Nightlife shall continue to be established under MOME. The Director of the Office of Nightlife shall be appointed by the Mayor and shall report to the Commissioner of MOME. In addition to the power and duties set forth in City Charter section 20-d, the Office of Nightlife will serve as a central point of contact among City agencies, the nightlife industry, and New York City residents, promoting a safe and vibrant nightlife scene beneficial to businesses and residents across the five boroughs.

§ 9.      An office shall be established as a division of MOME to carry out the powers and duties relating to the issuance of press credentials, in accordance with section 3-119.4 of the Administrative Code.

§ 10.    MOME shall contribute to the support and strengthening of New York City’s creative economy, including but not limited to the sectors of film, television, theatre, music, digital content production and distribution, advertising, and publishing (the “creative sectors”), as well as real estate as it relates to the creative sectors, and in connection with such work:

1. Develop industry and workforce development programs and activities in support of the creative sectors;
2. Market New York City as a location for the creative sectors;
3. Coordinate assistance from other City agencies relating to the support of the creative sectors; and
4. Perform such other functions as are deemed necessary by the Commissioner of MOME to support and strengthen the creative sectors.

§ 11.    Executive Order No. 31, dated March 7, 2018, is hereby REVOKED. Unless inconsistent with this Order, any references to MOME or to Executive Order No. 138, dated July 26, 2010, contained in any other laws, regulations, executive orders, or other City documents are hereby deemed to refer to MOME as continued herein and to this Executive Order, respectively.

§ 12.    This Order shall take effect immediately.

Eric Adams
Mayor