The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has turned down requests for waivers for Oscars and the Golden Globes.WGA West president Patric Verrone rejected the requests Monday, due to the guild's seven-week strike against studios and networks. But a WGA insider said a decision also has been made -- though not announced -- to reject a request for a writing waiver for the Oscars as well.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. and Dick Clark Prods., co-producers of the Jan. 13 Globes telecast on NBC, had asked that WGA scribes be cleared to work on the program. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had sought permission to use certain film clips for its February presentation of the Oscars on ABC and also would require a waiver to use WGA writers on its telecast.
WGA spokesman Gregg Mitchell declined comment on when the matter of an Oscars writing waiver might be addressed. But a guild source insisted that the decision already had been made and that it too had gone against AMPAS.
The Golden Globe Awards, which has a long and friendly relationship with the Writers Guild of America, is obviously disappointed that the WGA denied its request for a waiver. It was though reported that WGA has has announced that it plans to negotiate agreements with independent production companies. As the guild's negotiating committee informed WGA members last week that it is going to approach studios on an individual basis, a move meant to exploit the cracks that are surely forming between companies that have less to worry about it the strike continues and those that are having a tougher time than some.
The celebratory mood that usually accompanies the announcement of the year's Golden Globe nominees was tempered last week by the possibility of a WGA picket line that could keep some of Hollywood's biggest stars away from the event.
News / Gossips by PMcCFreedomlist
