Cannibalizing on the Coast

When Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan announced his initiative to promote local new-media firms, the goal was for companies in L.A. and neighboring cities to band together to compete against clusters of companies in Silicon Valley, New York and other rival locales.

But a mere six months later, he is poaching firms from his Digital Coast neighbors.

This morning, Riordan will hold a news conference to crow that his Business Team has wooed Web site developer DigitalFacades to L.A. from Santa Monica. He will appear with the company’s president and chief executive, John Lin, and learn how to build his own Web site at DigitalFacades’ new 13,000-square-foot offices near the marina.