NEW ORLEANS -- Louisiana Media Co., a company controlled by New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson, has entered a joint venture with Atlanta-based Horizon Entertainment, a movie and television production company, that will move Horizon to New Orleans.

Financial terms of the agreement were not released Tuesday.

Bill Haber / Associated Press

Benson's company recently purchased WVUE-TV in New Orleans for $41 million and an upgraded facility at the station will be used by Horizon.

Horizon will move about 20 permanent employees to New Orleans. The company employs 90 to 100 people during production projects. Another 25 full-time and 50 part-time workers will be hired once the move is finished.

During a news conference at the Saints' suburban training headquarters in Metairie, Horizon owner Jason Sciavicco (shuh-VEE-koh) said he had been looking to move to a state -- such as Louisiana -- that offers tax incentives to TV and film production companies. He said "nobody had ever gone after us like the state of Louisiana has."

The state economic development department was involved in attracting the company.

"We're going to benefit from this immensely because this area hasn't been tapped into like it probably should have," Sciavicco said.

Horizon has two miniseries in production in Louisiana and alsois in the early stages of developing a major motion picture that will be fully shot, edited and produced in Louisiana. The company has done work for ESPN and MTV, including a series called "Varsity Inc." and another called "Two-A-Days," both about highly successful high school football programs.

Benson called the venture "a great deal" for the city and its media community.

"Not too many businesses have been moving into New Orleans from Atlanta, Ga.," Benson said.

"The business decision to work collaboratively with Horizon and Louisiana Economic Development made too much sense not to pursue," said Saints owner-executive vice president Rita Benson LeBlanc, who serves on Louisiana Media's board.

Sciavicco said he knew the Bensons prior to the deal because of his work on a project involving the New Orleans Voodoo of the Arena Football League, which the Bensons also own.

State Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret said Horizon "opens a new sector in television programming for our state."

"Moving their headquarters from Georgia is a testament to Louisiana's deep and growing crew base, the unique production opportunities our state offers, and the business climate we're cultivating," Moret said.

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AP writer Brett Martel contributed to this report from Metairie, La.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)