TO CROSS OR NOT TO CROSS?
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CAN ARNOLD TERMINATE THE STRIKE?
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has confirmed reports that first appeared on the Internet site Politico.com that he has been acting behind the scenes to bring striking writers and producers representatives back to the negotiating table with a federal mediator. At a news conference in Sacramento Thursday, Schwarzenegger said, “I’m talking to the parties that are involved because I think it’s very important that we settle that as quickly as possible, because it has a tremendous economic impact on our state.” In its report, Politico.com said, “In addition to his own words of advice, the governor has had staff members reach out to both sides, as well as to the federal mediator trying to get them to hammer out a deal.”
DISNEY CHIEF: STRIKE COULD CAUSE “INDELIBLE DAMAGE”
A day after News Corp. President and COO Peter Chernin said that the writers’ strike could actually benefit his company since it has a number of non-scripted and animated shows in the works – including American Idoland The Simpsons – Disney CEO Robert Iger said just the opposite – that ABC could start feeling “indelible damage” from the strike beginning next month. “We’re fine through the November sweeps,” Iger added. “We are definitely going to have to implement contingency plans if the strike persists.” Meanwhile Disney reported a strong fourth quarter in which profits rose by 12 percent. Much of it was attributed to the strong performance of ESPN, which now strongly rivals the broadcast networks on Monday night with its telecasts of Monday Night Football, and the Disney Channel, which set record ratings in the quarter with High School Musical and Hanna Montana. On the other hand, Disney’s film business dropped 21 percent versus last year when a Pirates of the Caribbeansequel was dominating the box office.
NBC ENTERTAINMENT CHIEF LASHES OUT AT RIVALS
In a verbal volley fired at his competitors unlike any since Ted Turner’s broadsides at Rupert Murdoch in the ’90s, NBC Entertainment chief Ben Silverman has taken aim at ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson and Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly. In an interview with Esquire,Silverman said of McPherson, “He’s a moron,” noting that in his earlier role as an agent, he “delivered [to] him a huge hit that he didn’t want:Ugly Betty. He hated the show, he didn’t want America Ferrera, he didn’t understand why I pitched it to him seventeen times and wouldn’t stop. Then it delivered despite that.” Of Reilly, his predecessor, Silverman said that several of his key programming decisions were “transparently flawed.”
