Mel Gibson's wild ride and the ensuing coverage has brought Harvey Levin's TMZ to the attention of the MSM that previously had no idea such a site existed. But, even though the LA Times tried to explain it all for their shut-in readers, the meaning of thirty mile zone seems to have evaded number of writers. Thirty mile zone has nothing to do with Hollywood in the 30s (Xeni Jardin, in BoingBoing) and a lot to do with union regulations. (Below-the-line crew can get extra pay for working on location--ie. more than 30 miles from home to set.) Back in the 60s, when the term originated, the center point was at Beverly and La Cienega, but now it's a wherever the shoot takes place.
How can the hometown newspaper not know this?
The Times predicts that Mel's drunken ravings spell curtains for his career, but Anne Thompson in the Hollywood Reporter takes a less heated view.