The Fox drama "House" is the focus of renewal negotiations, with the network asking producer Universal Media Studios for a 20% reduction in the show’s license fee, reports Deadline.com.

The negotiations come after Fox picked up "Bones" for another season, the story notes. Fox wants to reduce "House’s” license fee to about $5 million per episode, but Universal says it can’t produce "House" in its current form for that price, the story says.

Typically the network license fee covers the cost of production, the piece notes. The network isn’t budging and its position is helped by "House’s” ratings this week, when it hit a season low with a 2.9 rating in adults 18 to 49, the article notes.

UMS, meanwhile, is trying to find a way to reduce the show’s budget, including cutting cast compensation. The studio is negotiating with co-stars Robert Sean Leonard, Omar Epps and Lisa Edelstein, who currently receive about $175,000 per episode, the piece notes. The three actors have been asked to perform in fewer episodes next season as well as accepting a salary reduction, the story says.

"House" star Hugh Laurie has one more season on his three-year contract, which pays him more than $400,000 per episode, the article notes.