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Inqlings: Stations sharing and saving

Marc Vetri (left), Stephen Starr gather round the pizza at 600 N. Broad.

By Michael Klein, Inquirer Columnist

Posted: February 10, 2011

Everybody into the pool!

Sister stations CBS3 and CW57 recently joined NBC10 and Fox29 in a deal by which they share routine video.

The arrangement, known as Local News Service, saves money because each station does not have to send a camera crew to mundane news conferences and ribbon-cuttings. News execs optimistically also point out that it frees crews for enterprise work.

There's another side effect: CBS3's blue-and-yellow chopper now serves all three stations.

NBC10 and Fox29 were the first in-market competitors to test the arrangement in summer 2008.

WPVI (6ABC) is not part of it.

Roll 'em

This plot has thrills, chills, and suspense. It's Gov. Corbett's proposed fiscal 2011-12 budget, which he plans to release March 8. The local film community fears it will cut the film-tax incentives that supporters say create jobs and lead to increased spending in the state.

Incentives have been a hot potato since they were introduced under Ed Rendell in 2004. A Corbett spokesman on Tuesday said that the credits were being reviewed and that no decision had been made on their fate.

Of four major films planning to shoot in the Philadelphia area this year, I hear producers are now standing by. "I am looking forward to working with the new governor on the massive job creation and economic impact that these movies will bring to the commonwealth," said Sharon Pinkenson, who heads the Greater Philadelphia Film Office. Acknowledging that the state is hurting for tax revenue, she calls the program a moneymaker. "However, it is indisputable that the films will go to other states if the film tax credit is eliminated or if there is a lingering uncertainty about it," she said.

Easy as 1-2-3

The Please Touch Museum in Fairmount Park is walking tall since Parents Magazine ranked it this week as the No. 3 children's museum in the United States. The mag reviewed all 300 members of the Association of Children's Museums and eliminated those that offered little for wee ones under 3. Then the mag asked 30 questions about amenities. The Please Touch, which moved into Memorial Hall in 2008, was ranked just behind the Children's Museum of Houston and the Children's Museum of Indianapolis and one spot ahead of the Boston Children's Museum.

Slice of life

At Tuesday's lunchtime groundbreaking of a project at 600 N. Broad St. that will put restaurateurs Marc Vetri and Stephen Starr and caterer Joe Volpe on one site, someone put out pizza for the attendees. Starr and Vetri grabbed slices and commenced snarfing, noisily enjoying it. Some fancy-schmancy pie from Starr's Pizzeria Stella or from Vetri's Osteria up the block? "No," said Vetri, winking. "Alessandros" - the humble pizzeria across the street. "We lived on it while building Osteria," said Vetri business partner Jeff Benjamin. The $43 million project, fronted by developer Eric Blumenfeld, will put about 100 apartments, the Starr seafood restaurant Route 6, the Vetri bar Birreria 600, and an unnamed catering facility from Volpe this fall in the former Wilkie dealership.

Contact columnist Michael Klein

at mklein@phillynews.com. Follow

his blog at http://go.philly.com/insider and on Twitter @phillyinsider.