There's No End In Sight

Optimism over the resumed negotiations falls flat as the talking ends.

The negotiations that began on November 26 between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have already come to a screeching halt. Friday ended with both sides leaving the tables without a deal. The strike began on November 5, and there is no indication that the WGA members will be putting down their picket signs any time soon.

The AMPTP blamed the WGA for the collapse of the negotiations. "Under no circumstances will we knowingly participate in the destruction of this business," they said in a press statement issued shortly after the talks fell apart. The WGA described the final proposal from the AMPTP as an "ultimatum", and the producers have said that they refuse to return to the negotiations if the WGA does not take certain items off of the table. According to a statement issued by the WGA, "the AMPTP demands we give up several of our proposals, including Fair Market Value (our protection against vertical integration and self-dealing), animation, reality, and, most crucially, any proposal that uses distributor’s gross as a basis for residuals. This would require us to concede most of our Internet proposal as a precondition for continued bargaining."

As both sides point fingers at one another for the continued strike, the AMPTP described the WGA as unwilling to commit themselves to negotiations: "Quite frankly, we're puzzled and disheartened by an ongoing WGA negotiating strategy that seems designed to delay or derail talks rather than facilitate an end to this strike." However, the WGA insists that they would like nothing more than to iron out a deal: "We remain ready and willing to negotiate, no matter how intransigent our bargaining partners are, because the stakes are simply too high. We were prepared to counter their proposal tonight, and when any of them are ready to return to the table, we’re here, ready to make a fair deal."

While negotiations are off and on behind the scenes, the networks are trying to find ways to fill their television schedules with programming that will continue to draw in audiences. CBS CEO Les Moonves announced that the network is preparing to borrow shows from sibling network Showtime to air on CBS as soon as this winter. Although Moonves did not specify which programmes were being considered, it is possible that Dexter, a series with a crime theme, could be added to the network famous for the CSI franchise. Regardless of which programmes are chosen, CBS would edit the episodes to obey the network's standards and practices.

For more information on the WGA strike, visit Deadline Hollywood Daily and Variety. The article about CBS borrowing programming from Showtime comes from Variety.

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