Statement from Motion Picture Association Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin on President Biden’s Address to the Joint Session of Congress
WASHINGTON – The following is a statement from Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association, on President Joe Biden’s address to a Joint Session of Congress tonight:
“Tonight, President Joe Biden told the American people how he plans to defeat the pandemic and build our nation back better. The film, television, and streaming industry is ready to play our part in that mission.
“Our industry supports more than two million jobs across all 50 states. Our workforce earns wages that are 53% above the national average and the vast majority of those workers are not celebrities. They are hair stylists, makeup artists, writers, composers, set builders, lighting technicians, and local cinema workers. Our industry includes more than 93,000 businesses – the vast majority of which employ fewer than 10 people. So, when a major production films in a local community, we can deliver an immediate impact of $250,000 on average per day to that economy.
“Over the last year, as a result of strict health and safety protocols agreed upon by the industry’s unions and studios, we created one of the safest work environments, resulting in some of the lowest positivity rates for COVID cases in the country. As we start to turn the corner on the pandemic, we look forward to creating even more jobs and investing more back into the growing economy.
“‘In America,’ the president said tonight, ‘we never stay down. In America, we always get up.’ Today, working together, that’s what we’re doing. We look forward to working with the Administration and Congress in this effort while continuing to produce and protect the great films and television shows audiences love.”
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About The Motion Picture Association
The Motion Picture Association, Inc. (MPA) serves as the global voice and advocate of the motion picture, home video, and television industries. It works in every corner of the globe to advance the creative industry, protect its members’ content across all screens, defend the creative and artistic freedoms of storytellers, and support innovative distribution models that bring an expansion of viewing choices to audiences around the world.
Its member studios are: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Netflix, Inc.; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Universal City Studios LLC; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO.
Media Contact:
Tom Zigo, Motion Picture Association
Tom_Zigo@motionpictures.org
202.378.9110