That’s a frightening title, huh? Well, according to Deadline Hollywood, that just might be true. Jeffrey Katzenberg tried to backchannel a compromise between the two parties to get the WGA and the AMPTP back to the negotiating table, but it didn’t work out.

Nikki writes: “I have learned: that the CEOs are deeply entrenched in their desire to punish the WGA for daring to defy them by striking and to bully the writers into submission on every issue, and that the moguls consider the writers are sadly misguided to believe they have any leverage left. I’m told the CEOs are determined to write off not just the rest of this TV season (including the Back 9 of scripted series), but also pilot season and the 2008/2009 schedule as well. Indeed, network orders for reality TV shows are pouring into the agencies right now. The studios and networks also are intent on changing the way they do TV development so they can stop spending hundreds of millions of dollars in order to see just a few new shows succeed. As for advertising, the CEOs seem determined to do away with the upfront business and instead make their money from the scatter market.”

This is all very, very bad. The writer’s simply cannot give into this thing, but it looks like the CEOs are in for the long hall. Egos are going to take over here, and this thing is going to be deadlocked for who knows how long.

The worst thing, though, is that if the studios can keep the same profit margins with the reality shows they’re ordering…what will be their motivation to negotiate?

It’s funny how history can repeat itself.

As you’ve probably seen by now, a lot of late-night hosts will be returning to work in January, despite the WGA strike. Way back in 1988, during the last writers’ strike, Johnny Carson did the same thing. As he was not actually part of the WGA, he was allowed to write all of his monologues. Like many of the hosts are today, Carson also paid his staff out of his own pocket. Jeff Sotzing, Carson’s nephew and associate producer of The Tonight Show at that time, said, “The public was glad he was back, the staff was glad, everybody was happy to get paychecks again. Nobody wanted to cross the picket line, but when they finally did, it was a huge relief.”

Much like Letterman is doing today, Carson also tried to forge his own deal with the WGA back in 1988. Aggravated by the slow development of those talks, he returned, sans writers. The WGA approved a deal for his writers a couple of weeks later.

Via Hollywood Reporter

David Letterman’s World Wide Pants were not able to make a deal with the WGA before Christmas, but talks will continue next week, and Letterman still hopes to be on the air, with writers, on January 2nd.

Rob Burnett, a World Wide Pants exec said “We had a substantive discussion today with the WGA and look forward to continuing these talks next week.” in relation to the discussions.

I sincerely hope they can negotiate a deal in time, but regardless, I think Letterman is going to need to return at the same time as the other late night talk show hosts in January.

Adding to the long list of others, The Daily Show with John Stewart and The Colbert Report will be returning to Comedy Central with new episodes on January 9.

Seeing as this is where the majority of the 18-34 demographic gets their news viewing, this can’t be bad.

Woo-hoo! Sadly missing from yesterday’s announcement that Leno and Conan would be back on January 2 was my personal favorite late-night host, Jimmy Kimmel.

Fear not. TVGuide is reporting that ABC’s late-night host will be among the many returning two weeks from tomorrow.

Jimmy was quoted as saying, “Though it makes me sick to do so without my writers, there are more than a hundred people whose financial well-being depends on our show. It is time to go back to work. I support my colleagues and friends in the WGA completely and hope this ends both fairly and soon.” I really feel for these hosts. On one hand, they are obviously very much in support of their writers, but on the other, they’ve got hundreds of other employees that are out of work at the same time.

Maybe the talk shows will all just suck…that’ll give the studios incentive to end the strike!

Well your favorite awards shows are probably going to be pretty darn boring this year. The WGA has denied a waiver requested by the Golden Globes, and has further denied the Oscar’s request to even show clips from feature films and previous Oscarcasts.

The WGA said in a statement: “Writers are engaged in a crucial struggle to achieve a collective bargaining agreement that will protect their compensation and intellectual property rights now and in the future. We must do everything we can to bring our negotiations to a swift and fair conclusion for the benefit of writers and all those who are being harmed by the companies’ failure to engage in serious negotiations.”

On top of that several nominees have already informed the Golden Globes that they won’t be crossing picket lines to collect their awards.

Dick Clark Productions, the company that is producing the Globes has also made a statement that they hope to reach an agreement with the writers in the same way David Letterman’s company is currently attempting to do.

After I just said that Letterman and Ferguson would be the only original late-night programming on the air in the post, again, directly below this one, I get to eat crow.

Beginning on Wednesday, January 2, 2008, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O’Bryan will return to filming, albeit without the benefit of a paid staff of writers. In a statement, executive VP Rick Ludwin said, “Both Jay and Conan have supported their writers during the first two months of this WGA strike and will continue to support them. However, there are hundreds of people who will be able to return to work as a result of Jay’s and Conan’s decision.”

So it looks like there are some wheels turning, in a limited capacity. It’ll be interesting to see if the writers respond to Conan and Leno the same way they did to Carson Daly.

(Source: TVGuide)

Letterman’s pants…that’s a funny image.

Worldwide Pants, the company that owns The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson has expressed an interest in negotiating directly with the WGA to break up the “logjam” that the negotiations between the WGA and AMPTP has turned into.

“Because we are an independent production company, we are able to pursue an interim agreement with the guild without involving CBS in that pursuit…It is our strong desire to be back on the air with our writers, and we hope that will happen as soon as possible.” The committee also said, “The internal dynamics of the [alliance] make it difficult for the conglomerates to reach consensus and negotiate with us on a give-and-take basis.”

The AMPTP quickly responded by saying that the writers were “liar-faces”…not verbatim, but they did say that the guild was “grasping for straws”.

I know we’re pro-WGA, and it’s easy to villify the AMPTP, but, is it just me, or are they making it really easy to do so? Virtually every statement I’ve read makes them sound so smug and condescending. It makes me want to punch them in their respective mouths.

Regardless, if this independent negotiation went though, it would be huge…not only for Letterman and Ferguson, who would be the only live late-night talk shows producing new episodes, but it could also serve as an open door to other production companies to begin doing the same thing with their programs, and getting the strike resolved quickly.

(Source: Zap2It)

The WGA is trying a new tactic since talks with the AMPTP have stalled. Now, they have made it clear they are willing to speak with individual production companies about coming to a temporary agreement until a final negotiation can be accomplished.

Individual bargaining not something, however, that is likely to end the strike. It is doubtful that many (if ANY) of the major studios or networks will bargain with the WGA even though they are required to do so if the WGA makes a demand for it.” According to an email released by the WGA to members.

One company that IS will to negotiate is David Letterman’s production company, World Wide Pants. In fact, Dave and crew hope to be back on the air as soon as possible, and if negotiations go well, they could be up and running shortly after the holidays.

The WGA has filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board on Thursday accusing the AMPTP of unfair labor practices for issuing an ultimatum during the last round of negotiations.

During the last round of talks the AMPTP demanded that the WGA take several things off the table (including their want to lay claim to “animation and “reality shows” - which, personally, I think they have no right to control, but that’s another article). If the WGA did not take these things off the table, the AMPTP refused to continue negotiations.

WGA contends that his move amounts to violation of labor practices

The WGA feels there is a precedence for this:

“The NLRB has long held that an employer may not require a union to resolve specific proposals as a pre-condition to discussing other subjects,” the filing states. “Such conduct frustrates the bargaining obligation and, as here, effectively stalls negotiations.”

And, of course, the AMPTP responded (in a really smug and off-putting way - of course)

“The WGA’s filing of a complaint with the NLRB reminds us of the old lawyer’s adage,” the AMPTP said in a statement. “‘When the facts are on your side, argue the facts. When the law is on your side, argue the law. And when you don’t have either the law or the facts on your side, you pound the table.’ The WGA has now been reduced to pounding the table, and this baseless, desperate NLRB complaint is just the latest indication that the WGA’s negotiating strategy has achieved nothing for working writers.”

Also, the DGA is ready to start negotiations with the AMPTP at the first of the year - a move that will clearly have ramifications on the writer’s strike, but the WGA’s representatives are holding firm that they will not reach a deal until they have on that is fair for the writer’s regardless of what deal the DGA makes.