WGA Negotiations Yield Little Progress

Negotiators for the Writers Guild of America and the producers abruptly ended talks  Oct. 5 amid speculation that reaching an agreement before the contract's expiration is less and less likely.

Meanwhile, fears that writers would go on strike as early as this fall are intensifying. 

"There's no question there's a lot of anxiety, not just among writers but also among network and film executives," said Los Angeles entertainment attorney Daniel H. Black, partner at Greenberg Traurig. "Do you greenlight a movie? How long is the shooting going to be? Do we have to lay off employees? There are a lot of moving pieces here."

Talks are scheduled to resume Oct. 9.

A strike could cause upheaval in the entertainment industry that drives much of Los Angeles' economy. Writers last struck in 1988 for 22 weeks and cost the industry an estimated $500 million.

Bracing for possible strikes by writers and actors, networks and studios have accelerated production of various movies, TV shows and pilots, stockpiled scripts and ordered up more reality TV shows, game shows and new programs that they could run during a strike.

10/08