Hollywood writers, studios continue talks to end strike
29/11/2007 17:04
Negotiations to end the ongoing Hollywood movie and television writers
strike continued yesterday 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, cellphones 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 US$380 million if it lasts as long as
the 22-week walkout by writers in 1988, while the non-governmental Los Angeles
County Economic Development Corp had estimated roughly a loss of US$one
billion.
Xinhua
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