Metro Proposes First ‘Nashville’ Investment

For the first time, Mayor Karl Dean’s office officially proposed funds towards the Santa Monica, Calif.-based Music City Productions, the company producing ABC-TV’s Nashville.

As previously reported, Metro plans to invest $500,000 from it’s general fund for the show’s second Season in addition to the state’s $12.5 million investment and the $125,000 boost from each: the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. and Metro’s Event Marketing Fund.

In a document made public by the Tennessean, Metro views the prime time production as a tremendous benefit to the citizens of the City and a “once in a generation promotional vehicle and business recruitment tool watched by well over five million Americans each week.” Additionally, Emmy and Golden Globe nominations are cited alongside notes that the show is sold into over 20 major countries across Europe, the UK, Scandinavia, Asia, Australia and Latin America.

Thirty second-commercial slots for the 22-episode second Season are anticipated to fetch over $140,000 while production is estimated to spend over $40 million on resident labor and goods and services in the Tennessee region at over 400 local vendors.

For Season 1, ABC Studios partnered with Ryman Hospitality for 13 episodes, which eventually became a full 22-episode season on ABC. State investment contributed between 25-32 percent of Tennessee-based costs.

The council is expected to hear the Mayor’s resolutions on the Sept. 10 meeting, the Metro Clerk’s office told the Tennessean. Nashville Season 2 premieres Wed., Sept. 25 on ABC.