SOAP PRODUCERS AWAITING UNION OKAYS TO CUT ONLINE COSTS

Plans to relaunch the ABC soaps One Life to Live and All My Children on the Internet are moving forward, with producers Prospect Park announcing that they have signed a deal with Ron Carlivati to serve as head writer and consulting producer of One Life to Live. Carlivati has served as head writer of the […]

DIVERSITY STALLS IN TV WRITERS’ ROOMS

Despite Hollywood’s frequent boasts that it is encouraging diversity in the writers’ rooms at TV production companies and networks, little progress has in fact taken place in recent years, and in many cases, appears to have fallen backwards, according to a study released Thursday by the Writers Guild of America. The study, “Hollywood Writers Report: […]

WGA MEMBERS OK PACT WITH PRODUCERS

Two years after their rancorous strike — primarily over Internet residuals — virtually shut down the movie and TV industry for 100 days, the membership of the Writers Guild of America overwhelmingly voted in favor of a new contract in which the issue of Internet residuals was all but ignored. The WGA said that 90.7 […]

GUILDS IN A LATHER OVER SOAP CANCELLATIONS

The Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Writers Guild of America (WGA), and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) reacted with shock and dismay Thursday to ABC’s announcement that it will be shutting down the long-running soap operas All My Children and One Life to Live. In a statement, the DGA said, […]

WGA QUICKLY AGREES TO NEW DEAL

Negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers turned out to be a far cry from the acrimony and tumult that marked the talks in 2007, which led to a strike that shut down TV production for 100 days. According to published reports, the negotiators sidestepped the […]

WGA RULES OUT AWARDS FOR SOME TOP FILMS

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is being stricter than other industry unions that hand out annual awards by insisting that scripts submitted for its annual awards presentations be produced under WGA jurisdiction. Daily Variety observed today (Wednesday) that the guild’s stance makes several critically praised screenplays ineligible for WGA nominations, which are due to […]

COMCAST REJECTS WRITERS’ VOTE ON UNIONIZING

Comcast has rejected a secret-ballot vote by writers working on Comcast’s E!, Style, and G4 cable network shows that overwhelmingly favored union representation by the Writers Guild of America. Balloting was overseen by Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, a Comcast spokesperson described the vote as “a […]

NBC WRITERS SIDE WITH WGA ON COMCAST TAKEOVER

The NBC-Comcast merger has been hit with labor unrest even before the merger is approved by regulators. On Monday, a group of NBC writers announced their support of efforts by the Writers Guild of America to unionize writers working on 10 shows produced by Comcast Entertainment Group, saying that they “should have what we have.” […]

HOLLYWOOD FACING ANOTHER STRIKE

Negotiations between the Teamsters Union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have reached an impasse, which could result in another crippling strike as early as August 1, according to entertainment attorney Jonathan Handel, writing in today’s (Monday) Hollywood Reporter. A strike by the Teamsters would not only involve some 4,000 drivers, location […]