WGA Talks Continue as Deadline Looms

LOS ANGELES, October 31:
Talks between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture
and Television Producers (AMPTP) resumed today to hammer out a new contract,
ahead of the expiration of the current contract at midnight tonight.

It is not clear if any
headway has been made in today’s mediated negotiations, during which the WGA
was due to present AMPTP with a new proposal. A statement from AMPTP president
Nick Counter at the end of the day yesterday noted: “We will not agree to any
proposals that impose unreasonable restrictions and unjustified costs. We will
not ignore the challenges of today’s economic realities, the shifts in audience
taste and viewing habits and the unpredictability of still-evolving
technology.”

The guild has voted to
strike if a deal cannot be reached, but no decision is expected to be made
until a members’ meeting tomorrow, and discussions could continue into next
week.

—By Mansha Daswani