Two greedy titans of the producing world battling over subscriber fees? At first glance it seems like a yawn, if another unfortunate bit of fallout from media consolidation.
But it does have some interesting implications for performers.
In old time mob terms, Fox is trying to muscle in on the cable operators’ subscriber fee racket. Why? [...]
Basic cable is the sixth major contract completed since the logjam was broken in late January with the Unite for Strength/United Screen Actors Nationwide/RBD coalition taking charge of SAG and the replacement of Doug Allen with interim NED David White.
Not that there was any real doubt, but the vote in favor of ratification was overwhelming, [...]
You should get your ballot no later than tomorrow on the tentative Basic Cable Contract. An e-mail from Interim NED David White included a link to the contract summary on the SAG website.
The contract is not controversial, and was approved by a 95% to 5% margin by the National Board. It carries 3.5% annual increases, [...]
In a National Board session demonstrating that at SAG even the simple things are never easy, the board voted to delay increasing the initiation fee (which only went up to its current level a couple of years ago) and only managed a 52-48 majority to oppose the closing of the Motion Picture & Television Fund [...]
Ed. Note – We’ve received a note from CAA’s spokesperson saying the note being circulated, the one we posted below, is not from anyone at CAA.
A long note (supposedly) from a CAA agent to clients contains some very bitter truth, and offers another perspective on the effect of the TV-Theatrical impasse and the de facto [...]
You may have noticed that the SAG Basic Cable contract was to expire three weeks ago, after having been extended from the original June 30 expiration. Variety this morning points out no talks are scheduled. The expiration appears to have been the trigger for the strange day after Christmas e-mail from the Allens advising members they can work any contract.
Jonathan [...]
