Advertising

The Seattle Times Company

NWjobs | NWautos | NWhomes | NWsource | Free Classifieds | seattletimes.com

The Seattle Times

Entertainment


Our network sites seattletimes.com | Advanced

Originally published Sunday, December 16, 2007 at 12:00 AM

E-mail article     Print view

Letterman's company to seek deal with writers

David Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, jumped Saturday at the chance to negotiate independently with the Writers Guild of...

Los Angeles Times

NEW YORK — David Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, jumped Saturday at the chance to negotiate independently with the Writers Guild of America (WGA), saying it was eager to make a deal with its writers and get new episodes of its late-night shows back on the air.

The move by Worldwide Pants, which produces the "Late Show with David Letterman" and "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," could bolster the union's efforts to break apart the alliance of studios and networks with which it has been at loggerheads.

Hours after the union told members it would try to break the logjam by dealing with individual companies, Worldwide Pants Chief Executive Rob Burnett said the company would take the guild up on its offer.

"Because we are an independent production company, we are able to pursue an interim agreement with the Guild without involving CBS in that pursuit," Burnett said.

Guild officials did not have an immediate response as to how quickly negotiations with the company could proceed.

Talks broke off Dec. 7 after the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, insisted it would not bargain further unless the union dropped proposals that included the authority to unionize writers on reality shows and animation projects.

Both sides in the strike, which began Nov. 5, have said the central issue is compensation for programs, movies and other content streamed or downloaded over the Internet.

On Saturday, guild officials sent their members a letter detailing their new strategy, which they plan to present to individual studios Monday.

A spokesman for studio group dismissed the union's tactic, saying the guild was "grasping for straws."

Material from The Associated Press is included in this report.

Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company

More Entertainment headlines...

E-mail article Print view      Share:    Digg     Newsvine

advertising

Preview: Renaissance Singers usher in season with 'Christmas in Cambridge'

Architects, chefs find 'kid' within to build Gingerbread Village

Elton John & Billy Joel reschedule Seattle concerts

Freeloader alert: Free frappés, free hot drinks, free doughnuts

Lit Life: National recognition for Seattle's readergirlz online book community

Advertising

Video

Real Salt Lake wins MLS Cup
Real Salt Lake defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy with penalty kicks after 120 minutes of play at Qwest Field in Seattle.

Raw Video | Real Salt Lake receives the MLS Cup trophy
Raw Video | Real Salt Lake fans celebrate
Real Salt Lake fans enter Qwest Field
Raw Video | MLS Cup Opening Ceremony
LA Galaxy's David Beckham
Real Salt Lake's Kyle Beckerman
MLS trophy arrives in Seattle
Chittenden Locks Inspection
Full interview with New Moon actors

Marketplace

Advertising