LOS ANGELES, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Other U.S. states are luring away entertainment production from California, mainly the Los Angeles area, by offering tax incentives to studios, a local newspaper said Friday.

    The number of television pilots shot in the Los Angeles area fell more than 23 percent in the past several months from 2005 levels, costing more than 1,000 jobs and draining some 70 million dollars from the local economy, according to the Daily News.

    FilmL.A. Inc., a private group dedicated to promoting the city's film and television business, said the 25 other states with tax incentives aimed at luring entertainment production were nabbing pilot production, the newspaper reported.

    "They're not doing it to give away money to rich movie stars, they're doing it because they get jobs and tax revenue that comes in other ways," FilmL.A. President Steve MacDonald was quoted as saying.

    Last year, Los Angeles hosted 105 pilot projects, representing 85 percent of all pilots filmed, while the number of pilots fell to 81, or 68 percent, in 2006.

    A FilmL.A. report said New York City was the most effective at pulling in runaway Los Angeles production, with 11 pilots, while Canada matched the Big Apple's production numbers, followed by Washington D.C.'s trio of pilots.

    Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's office said the reportshould send a note of alarm to officials throughout Southern California. The mayor is supporting measures to provide tax incentives to keep film production in California. Enditem