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Writers Strike News Roundup: Wednesday, Jan. 16

Jan 15, 2008  •  Post A Comment

Directors, Producers Very Close to Contract Agreement
The Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers ended their fourth day of contract negotiations Tuesday, the Hollywood Reporter says. Insiders say the talks are going well, and that a deal between the two could be announced very soon, the newspaper says. The DGA contract talks could influence the Writers Guild of America’s contract negotiations, saddling the WGA with a contract template that they may not agree with, the newspaper reports. Talks resume on Wednesday, the Reporter says.
NAACP Awards Show Granted Writers Strike Waiver
The NAACP Image Awards will be free of Writers Guild of America pickets after the two groups signed an interim agreement for the Feb. 14 Fox telecast, the Hollywood Reporter says. The waiver allows WGA writers to pen the script, and gives Screen Actors Guild members the ability to show up to the awards freely, the newspaper reports.
Oscars a Go, Writers Or No
Oscars producer Gil Cates met with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences reps to discuss secondary plans for the Oscar telecast if the writers strike continues, Daily Variety reports. Meeting attendees said Mr. Cates laid out two plans for the show, noting that the writer-less version of the show would have to be played by ear, but still will occur, the newspaper says. The Writers Guild of America has already said it would deny a request from the Academy regarding a writing waiver, which would most likely mean pickets of the telecast. Pickets would discourage Screen Actors Guild members from showing up, forcing pre-taped acceptance speeches, the newspaper reports.
Grammys to WGA: Waiver, Please
John Cossette Productions, producers of the 50th Grammy Awards, and the Recording Academy have asked the Writers Guild of America for a waiver for its upcoming telecast, the Los Angeles Times reports. The waiver would remove pickets and allow WGA writers to pen scripts for the show, but the WGA said earlier this week that it would more than likely deny any request of a waiver for the Grammys, the newspaper says.
Andrew Krukowski
(Editor: Baumann)

19 Comments

  1. Tom,
    It would kill what little bit of power they have. If the WGA grants waivers for the Oscars, then who would win?
    The exact people that they are fighting would win.
    I think the reason they are granting the smaller awards shows waivers is because they are not BIG ratings shows like the Globes, the Oscars, and the Grammys.

  2. Good for the Studios. They need to move on, find new programing and just fire all the union writers. The only people the writers are hurting are themselves…to bad they are to stupid to see that.

  3. Ask the Detroit 3, automotive parts OEMs, and the UAW what happens when unions become too good at what they set out to do.

  4. They cant just fire all the writers, what is wrong with you?! I’m sure you watch some kind of show that involves PLOT unless you just watch reality shows like a loser, new writers would mess everything up.
    I dont understand why the networks dont just cave, the WGA isn’t going to suddenly step down and this situation isnt good for anyone.

  5. The thing is that the WGA is holding the award shows hostage. They already put a bullet in the golden globes and now the gun is pointed squarely at Oscar’s head. The WGA is like a desperate criminal who kills (figuratively) to get their way.
    I like to compare this to something like the Columbine shooting. The WGA are the nerds that have been picked on for years by the big bullies (AMPTP) and now the WGA got a bunch of shotguns and are shooting up the place. Does that make it right?

  6. Tony brings up a good point. This is a question of whether 2 wrongs make a right. As cold as I think the WGA is, there is no denying that the AMPTP are no prize-pigs themselves. So basically, it’s the WGA holding everyone hostage, but the AMPTP doesn’t want to do shit about it.

  7. jason can u believe this what the people are sayin on here i guess we should boycott stupied,and another thing is without writers there would be no authors like Steven King and nora roberts two of my favorites and there whould be no movies or tv shows thouse of you not supporting the writers try closing your eyes and imagan shows like LOST,ER,LAW AND ORDER without writers. lost would like like survivor.e.r. would like trama life in the e.r. and law and order would like like something you see on court tv. now if that isn’t clear enough i dont know what is

  8. i meant look like

  9. When I see that the ratings for the “news conference Globes” were down 71 per cent from
    the usual numbers, I cheer!
    The studio side has taken it in the shorts!
    Did they really imagine that the WGA would sit
    by and grant waivers to protect their cash cows?
    It’s the studio side’s turn to lose some dough!
    Don’t forget, now that the broadcast nets are
    owned by larger corporations and movie studios,
    the AMPTP is controlled by just a few CEOs,
    who seem to have no intention of giving in,
    no matter how much television viewers are negatively impacted.
    Their corporations have deep pockets and stockpiled movie scripts to shoot until
    summer. Television seems like just some “collateral damage” that they don’t mind
    taking while they show the WGA who is the Boss.
    And they don’t seem to care much about you, the viewers, much either!

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  12. I wonder if some people think about what they are saying before they say it.
    “Fire all the writers…”
    “… like the Columbine shooting…”
    Hell, on another forum, there was a guy saying that the wrtiers strike was worse than 911.
    Seriously?
    Camera Op. Jones makes VERY valid points. I hope the AMPTP come to their senses soon.

  13. According to Jon Stewart, the strike is 9 times worse than 9/11.

  14. I don’t see why they can’t fire the writers and find new ones. It’s not like good writers can’t keep plots going or (hello) put NEW ones in place. And I’m sorry, but it’s not like TV shows are any major literary challenge. These greedy ass writers deserve whatever they get. NOTHING.

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