Late Night Shows to come back in January !!?
By fred | December 16, 2007
Given how the AMPTP refuses to negotiate, the latest WGA move is to go “divide and conquer”. On December 14, a letter was sent to the WGA Membership from its Negotiating Committee in which was said that since the AMPTP was unwilling to bargain, other methods would be used.
As you know, the AMPTP is currently unwilling to bargain with us. The internal dynamics of the AMPTP make it difficult for the conglomerates to reach consensus and negotiate with us on a give and take basis. We believe this multi-employer structure inhibits individual companies from pursuing their self-interest in negotiations. We nonetheless continue to hope that the AMPTP will return in good faith to negotiate a fair contract with writers, as two television seasons and numerous feature projects are currently at great risk.
We want to do everything in our power to move negotiations forward and end this devastating strike. We have therefore decided to reach out to major AMPTP companies and begin to negotiate with them individually. As you may know, bargaining on a multi-employer basis through the AMPTP is an option for the WGA, not a legal requirement. Each signatory employer is required to bargain with us individually if we make a legal demand that it do so.
We will make this demand on Monday December 17th and hope that each company responds promptly, in accordance with the law.
In the meantime, we urge you to support us and our negotiations team and leadership during these difficult times. We look forward to making a fair deal that will resolve this strike, protect our future and put us all back to work, for the good of the industry and all of its employees.
As I mentioned earlier his company, Worldwide Pants, does own both shows his and Ferguson shows. So Letterman, a WGA member and supporter, did not wait any longer and started talking with the writers. It seems that the Writers Guild Of America is intending to grant David Letterman’s independent production company, Worldwide Pants, an “interim agreement” that would allow him and his writers to return on the air during the strike !
Executive producer and president/CEO of Worldwide Pants Rob Burnett sent out this statement :
Worldwide Pants has always been a writer-friendly company. Dave has been a member of the WGA for more than 30 years, and I have been a member for more than 20. Because we are an independent production company, we are able to pursue an interim agreement with the Guild without involving CBS in that pursuit. Therefore, since the beginning of the strike, we have expressed our willingness to sign an interim agreement with the Guild consistent with its positions in this dispute. We’re happy that the Guild has now adopted an approach that might make this possible. It is our strong desire to be back on the air with our writers and we hope that will happen as soon as possible.
Now this would put CBS’ talk shows in a completely different situation than others, should they all go back on the air. Of course, to have all late night shows back on the air in January could give the impression that things are over, but while Leno, Conan and Kimmel could only agree to go back in order to support their non-writing staff, Letterman (and Ferguson) would be in a totally different spot : they would have the WGA’s blessing, and their writers would be back as well.
This clearly is part of the WGA’s new “divide and conquer” strategy, as it would be living proof to every other companies that working out a fair deal with the WGA can work, this could pressure the AMPTP back to the table to work this out properly. This is probably why CBS felt the need to disassociate itself from this deal, and issued this statement this afternoon:
Regarding David Letterman’s company, Worldwide Pants, seeking an interim agreement with the WGA: We respect the intent of Worldwide Pants to serve the interests of its independent production company and its employees by seeking this interim agreement with the WGA. However, this development should not confuse the fact that CBS remains unified with the AMPTP, and committed to working with the member companies to reach a fair and reasonable agreement with the WGA that positions everyone in our industry for success in a rapidly changing marketplace.
Of course, should all late night shows go back on the air, you could expect all of them to use their national airtime to bask on their networks and the AMPTP, as well as explaining why writers are striking and why they fully support them. Although I’d love for them to get back on the air, sit on their chair behind their desk, and do nothing for one hour. That would be boring, no one would watch, but that’s the idea.
No wait, even better would be for them be bring out a TV, sit back and watch Letterman.
Because in the case of Letterman, it would be a “real” full show back on the air. One with writers behind it. You know all those hilarious videos we’ve all seen on YouTube ? All those and so much more could now air on CBS ! Let millions and millions of people aware of the situation. As Bill Scheft, a longtime writer for Late Show with David Letterman and the WGA strike captain for the program’s writers said :
“David Letterman, on the air without writers… is the greatest ally the writers would ever have, because he would rail nightly. He could be more influential as an on-air stone in people’s shoes. The leverage for us might be him and Jon and Conan talking trash.”
Announcements should be made on Monday, let’s all see how this will go.
» Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien coming back next year ! | I Watch TV!
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Is WGA East President chickening out ? » I Watch TV!