The Citizen Media Group

“All the World’s a Stage”: Pacifica Venture’s International Claims Examined

By Diane Velasco

Note to readers: This is part two of an investigative series on Dana Arnold and Harold Katersky, owners of the Albuquerque Studios. Part one of this series debunked the claim their California-based company Pacifica Ventures owns historic The Culver Studios. Neither man returned repeated calls for comment.

“All the world’s a stage and all the people merely players…”

Dana Arnold

Albuquerque Studios owners Dana Arnold and Harold Katersky give 21st century meaning to Shakespeare’s observation with their claims of international experience. Their Pacifica Ventures’ web site declares:

“Pacifica’s growing family of studio facilities specifically designed to serve the feature film and television industry, makes up the cornerstone of a unique world-wide network of specialty stage facility and production centers that will continue to obtain significant demand from major producers of content from Hollywood as well as all the emerging content production centers throughout the world.”

Hal Katersky

But, alas, it’s curtain call: Pacifica Ventures International LLC was not set up until June 14, 2006, according to California business registration records.

Special Report: ABQ Studios Owners Target of Lawsuit, Culver Audit

By Diane Velasco

Note to readers: This is part one of an investigative series. These stories are based on our review of more than 230 pages of court documents, corporate filings and other records, as well as interviews with confidential sources close to both the lawsuit and audit. A second lawsuit is expected to be filed soon.

Dana Arnold

Albuquerque Studios principals Dana Arnold and Harold Katersky are being sued by F. Lee Tomlinson, a former business partner in the company that set up Albuquerque Studios , Pacifica Ventures.
The men were involved in the negotiations with Sony Pictures Entertainment when Sony decided to sell the famous The Culver Studios in 2004.

Hal Katersky

The lawsuit has brought Pacifica Ventures into the spotlight.

Though the company has been hailed repeatedly in mainstream media reports as the owners of the California studios, it does not and never did own The Culver Studios.

Domenici, Bingaman Fight Funding Cuts to Health Care for Undocumented Immigrants

Bingaman Introduces Bill to Restore State Authority on Citizenship Proofs

New Mexico’s U.S. Senators Republican Pete Domenici and Democrat Jeff Bingaman joined a bipartisan effort to warn against reducing federal funding reimbursements to local hospitals, physicians and ambulance services for the care they give undocumented immigrants.

In a separate move, Bingaman introduced legislation that would restore states’ rights in determining appropriate citizenship proofs to qualify for Medicaid.

Tech Summit Draws Seven Countries

Even as Sandia National Laboratories is absorbed in its revived war-time mission, at least one significant international peace-time initiative remains.

Never Again--Weary Lawmakers Pass Bill to Limit Bills

Weary lawmakers in both the state House and Senate passed a resolution introduced by Rep. Henry Kiki Saavedra, D-Albuquerque, that would reduce the number of bills introduced in the Legislature.

Bingaman Bill Gives Greater Access to Presidential Papers

U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., has introduced legislation that would repeal President Bush’s Executive Order 13233, which bars public access to presidential papers.

Regional Housing Reform Bill Killed – Again

“The Poor of New Mexico Are the Losers…”

Democrats killed a second attempt to reform the state’s beleaguered regional housing authorities late Tuesday night.

Senate Bill 519 by Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, was the last bill heard, at 11 p.m., in the House Business and Industry Committee only to be tabled on a party-line vote, with the exception of Dona Irwin, D-Deming.

It’s companion House Bill 997 met the same fate earlier in the session.

Sony May Move 100 Jobs to Albuquerque

Sony Pictures Imageworks may move 100 jobs to Albuquerque from Culver City, Calif., if the state’s
incentives for filmmakers hold up through the legislative session.

Plans include eventually moving 300 of the company's 900-member workforce to the Duke City, according to the Los Angeles Times that reported the deal Friday.

Neither company officials nor New Mexico officials are commenting publicly yet.

22 Tax Relief Measures Passed in One Day

In perhaps an unprecedented move, the New Mexico House of Representatives passed 22 tax-related bills on Monday. The bills make up the bulk of $115 million to $125 million in tax credits, exemptions and deductions expected to be passed by the Legislature.

Housing Reform Bill Killed

The House Business and Industry Committee killed a bill that would have shut down the state’s scandal-ridden regional housing authorities and replaced them with a system overseen by the Mortgage Finance Authority. The bill also would have required audits of the seven housing authority regions.

Public Access Channels Threatened by FCC Action: Alliance Meets in Albuquerque

Thousands of people in Albuquerque use Channel 27, the public access channel, to communicate with the community. The station has at least 500 active producers of religious, educational and political programs, as well as hobbyists’ programs, like the New Mexico Gun Collectors.

But the station, like others around the country, is threatened by a new FCC ruling that could change the channel’s funding base – cable franchise fees. No one knows exactly what the final wording of the secretive ruling will be when it is published, says Steve Ranieri, executive director of nonprofit Quote-Unquote that runs the Albuquerque channel.

NM Film Producers Form Coalition, Propose Legislation

Several New Mexico film producers have formed a coalition and want a task force created to evaluate how the state’s film incentive program could help them as well as large, out-of-state studios.

“It’s not a whining committee,” says coalition spokesman Luca Ceccarelli with HDNM Entertainment. “We applaud everything happening in the state. We just want to make sure we stay on target with the original plan of creating a sustainable New Mexico film economy, and catering to run-away productions is not sustainable.”

Congressional Delegation Questions, State Republicans Act

The state’s congressional delegation continues to scramble to address how New Mexico’s National Guard came out dead last nationwide in equipment assessments by the Government Accountability Office.

The delegation was swift in demanding answers from the Pentagon -- they issued a joint letter to Francis J. Harvey, Secretary of the Army, with a list of questions. The Citizen was also swift in demanding answers – we asked each lawmaker just one pointed question. Meanwhile, state Republicans have taken swift action.