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Writers Strike News Roundup: Thurs., Nov. 29

Nov 29, 2007  •  Post A Comment

Booking Continues, Even If Late-Night Shows Don’t
Late-night shows might not be currently in production, but their celebrity bookers needs to be ready at a moment’s notice in case production resumes, Daily Variety reports.
Late-night bookers are still trying to tap talent for the shows, even if both sides know there is a strong possibility of cancellation, the newspaper says.
$1 Billion Loss Untrue, Economist Says
The Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. said that a strike lasting as long as the 1988 writers strike, about five months, could cost Los Angeles $1 billion. However, a UCLA economist is claiming that data is off, and the real impact could be one-third or less than that estimate, Daily Variety reports.
While not trying to downplay the seriousness of the strike, Jerry Nickelsburg of the UCLA Anderson Forecast said viewers who move away from television will invest money in other entertainment, partially offseting the loss to the local economy. Losses in one area, he said, will be made up through hiring in another, the newspaper says.
Fourth Day Added to WGA-AMPTP Talks
Originally scheduled for three days, a fourth day of talks is occurring between the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers and the Writers Guild of America, Deadline Hollywood Daily says.
The next round is scheduled for 10 a.m. today at an undisclosed location in Los Angeles, the blog reports.
Media Chiefs Walking Fine Line on Strike Comments
The low-key comments regarding the current writers strike from media company heads including Disney’s Robert Iger and NBC Universal’s Jeff Zucker are more of a strategy than a style choice, the Hollywood Reporter says.
Industry insiders explain that even though a mogul’s word is incredibly influential, taking on something like a strike head-on could cause severe backlash, the newspaper says.
Slow Restart in Store for Returning Shows
Entertainment experts estimate a three- to five-week restarting time for shows that halted production due to the writers strike, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Even if an agreement was settled tomorrow, writers would still need to wait a week or more for approval from the Writers Guild of America board for a guild authorization vote, the Times says.
Also included in the restart woes are lacking scripts and crew members that may have moved on to other jobs, the newspaper reports.
Andrew Krukowski
Click here for complete coverage of the strike.

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