Talks Day #8: Moguls Quit Talks

Links (13)

Strike update: It doesn't look good
Published 12/7/2007 by Bob Sassone at TV Squad
... on Friday, after four days of talks that at first seemed to be productive and then ... well, not so much. In fact, the Writers Guild of America sent out a letter Friday afternoon that pretty much said that the producers were dragging their heels in the talks and even accused them of trying to sabotage the talks. Of course, the Alliance of Motion Picture And Television Producers also sent out their own letter on Friday to explain their side. ...

Producers pull out of WGA talks
Published 12/8/2007 at OH NO!!
... According to Nikki Finke, the AMPTP issued a deal on internet streaming, on the condition that the WGA stopped asking for regulations on reality tv and animation. An hour later after issuing their offer, the AMPTP walked out of the talks. For her full coverage, check out DeadlineHollywoodDaily.

Strike update: The AMPTP has walked out
Published 12/8/2007 by Ms Interpreted at No Fact Zone
... Well, crap. Break out the survival gear, kids, this isn’t ending any time soon. Here’s the update we were both expecting and fearing, from Deadline Hollywood Daily: ...

Bring the War Home
Published 12/8/2007 by Logan Gawain at GALACTICA SITREP
As predicted Nick Counter and his fascist friends of the AMPTP broke off talks with the WGA and immediately released a statement full of lies they obviously had prepared far in advance, no doubt prepared by the union busting thugs and media spin masters they recently hired. Here's the WGA's statement: AMPTP BREAKS OFF NEGOTIATIONS Today, after three days of discussions, the AMPTP came back to us with a proposal that included a total rejection of our proposal on Internet streaming of December 3. They are holding to ...

Writers Strike: It's Apocalypse, Now
Published 12/8/2007 by Joel Brown at TV with MeeVee
... . Nikki Finke called this one days in advance, and appears to be the only reporter in town who actually has an ear in the room, describing a hotel doorway confrontation  that spelled the end of talks. ( ...

Talks Breakdown - Moguls Walk Out
Published 12/9/2007 by Mystery Man at Mystery Man on Film
Talks Day #8: Moguls Walk From Talks After Issuing An Ultimatum To Writers; Both Sides Accuse Each Other Of Lying ...

Top Ten Ways to Stave Off the No-Office Blues
Published 12/9/2007 by claire at The Office Fan Site: Life In The Office
... If you’re anything like me–and since you’re on this site, I know we have at least one thing in common–the news that the WGA strike talks were halted a few days ago threw you into a dizzying spiral of despair. What can we do, while the networks start churning out such reality hits as a prime-time version of Big Brother, Celebrity Apprentice, and the truly, truly awful ...

The Quixotic Radicals
Published 12/10/2007 by Billy Mernit at Living the Romantic Comedy
... Right, I can see why this would pose a problem, given that the AMPTP has been nothing if not consistently predictable in their tactics: failing to honor promises made (remember the one about "we'll revisit the video residuals for writers issue once we know what kind of profits we're making?"), and duplicitous in their representation of the facts (e.g. blaming the writers for the talks breakdown Friday, when they were the ones who got up and left the table, a move that had apparently been planned in advance, no matter what the writers might do). ...

No talks scheduled in strike
Published 12/10/2007 by Ann Oldenburg at USATODAY.com - Lifeline Live
... starring Gilbert Gottfried. ... Here is a detailed account of what happened as the talks broke down on Friday. ... Reality and repeats are ...

Strike Watch: Dear God, This Thing Is Going to Last Forever Edition
Published 12/10/2007 at TIME.com: Tuned In
... animation staffers. Seeing as how the usual purposes of a negotiation are (1) for the two sides to talk to one another and (2) to get closer on terms, not farther apart, this is not exactly good news. Nor is the fact that both sides seem to be acting as if they are in an extremely strong negotiating position, which is to say that each seems to think that, as the strike cripples the TV business, it will be slightly less screwed than the other side. You can read lengthier accounts at Deadline Hollywoood Daily , the ...

The Strike, Day 30-Something: Darkness Falls [Hollywood Strikewatch]
Published 12/10/2007 by Mark at Defamer
... · Nikki Finke has a Guild-said/studio-said narrative of how Friday's AMPTP walkout transpired, complete with competing stories of WGA negotiators' alleged anger levels and differing accounts of the force used to close doors. [DHD] ...

Reality TV representation one of the disputed issues as writers' strike continues
Published 12/10/2007 by Andy Dehnart at reality blurred
... After a breakdown in talks, caused by an ultimatum issued by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers that the Writers Guild of America drop certain provisions from its demands before talks resume, the two sides issued statements. In its statement, the AMPTP outlined its perspective on two provisions that the WGA is asking for: ...

Howard A. Rodman: Top 10 Reasons Why the Letterman/WGA Deal Is a Good Thing
Published 12/29/2007 by Howard A. Rodman at Huffington Post Entertainment Blog
10. Letterman has been a strong supporter. As he said in his last outing before the show went dark, "You think the show's not funny now, wait 'til the writers go on strike. I mean it really won't be funny." 9. The AMPTP says that we're too crazy, too ideological, too amateurish to make a deal. Oh yeah? 8. Stupid pet tricks? Somebody wrote that! 7. The Networks That Are Not CBS will be hard put to justify to their advertisers and stockholders why they're letting the competition have a real late-night show while they go forth with ...