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Hollywood Writers Reject Award Shows

Posted on: Tuesday, 18 December 2007, 00:00 CST

By LYNN ELBER

LOS ANGELES - The union representing striking writers aimed a blow at the glamorous heart of Hollywood, refusing to allow its members to write for the Academy Awards or Golden Globe ceremonies.

The board of directors of the Writers Guild of America West decided not to give the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences an interim agreement for writing services, a person close to the guild said Monday. The person, who was not authorized to comment and spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to say when the decision had been made.

Meanwhile Monday, the guild released a letter rejecting a waiver request from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which awards the Golden Globes. The letter said that granting a waiver "would not advance" the guild's ongoing battle with studios to negotiate a new contract.

In a separate letter to Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences also released Monday, the guild denied the use of clips from movies and past awards programs that could be shown during the award show in February.

The academy had made its standard, annual request for clip use to the writers guild and other relevant industry guilds that must grant approval, spokeswoman Leslie Under said Monday.

"The academy has not requested any strike-related waiver from the writers guild related to the awards show," she said.

In a statement, the Globe organization expressed measured unhappiness.

"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," the group said.

But it said it was "encouraged by the fact that the WGA has announced that it plans to negotiate agreements with independent production companies" and would attempt to reach a deal for the upcoming Globe ceremony.

The statement was released by the Golden Globe ceremony's producer, Dick Clark Productions Inc.

Writers are in their seventh week of a costly strike that has shut down TV production on many series and has begun to affect movie production.

Source: Associated Press/AP Online

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