Negotiations to end the ongoing Hollywood movie and television
writers strike continued Wednesday for a third day as screenwriters
around the world showed solidarity with their American pals.
The talks between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance
of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents
studios and TV networks, began Monday after the writers union
launched the strike earlier this month. The two sides reportedly
agreed to a news blackout on the talks.
The dispute centers the residual arrangement for writers on
programs distributed via the Internet, video iPods, cell phones and
other new media.
Writers in foreign cities from London to Sydney Wednesday took
to the street with demonstrations in support of the Hollywood
strike as the International Affiliation of Writers Guild, an
international body representing guilds of professional
screenwriters, declared the day an "International Solidarity
Day."
The strike, which has forced many late-night talk shows into
reruns, halted production on most scripted TV series and could
bring about an increase in unscripted and competition series and
news magazines in primetime, industry observers said.
Meanwhile, a late-night talk show that went off the air because
of the work stoppage was set to resume production Wednesday.
NBC officials confirmed that the network's "Last Call With
Carson Daly" show resumed production with new episodes of the show
expected to begin airing Monday.
A study by the UCLA Anderson Forecast estimated that the latest
Hollywood strike could cost the Los Angeles area's economy 380
million dollars if it lasts as long as the 22-week walkout by
writers in 1988, while the non-governmental Los Angeles County
Economic Development Corp. had estimated roughly a loss of one
billion dollars.
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(CRI November 29, 2007)