Negotiations to end the ongoing Hollywood movie and television writers strike continued Wednesday for a third day as screenwriters around the world showed solidarity with their American pals.

The talks between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios and TV networks, began Monday after the writers union launched the strike earlier this month. The two sides reportedly agreed to a news blackout on the talks.

The dispute centers the residual arrangement for writers on programs distributed via the Internet, video iPods, cell phones and other new media.

Writers in foreign cities from London to Sydney Wednesday took to the street with demonstrations in support of the Hollywood strike as the International Affiliation of Writers Guild, an international body representing guilds of professional screenwriters, declared the day an "International Solidarity Day."

The strike, which has forced many late-night talk shows into reruns, halted production on most scripted TV series and could bring about an increase in unscripted and competition series and news magazines in primetime, industry observers said.

Meanwhile, a late-night talk show that went off the air because of the work stoppage was set to resume production Wednesday.

NBC officials confirmed that the network's "Last Call With Carson Daly" show resumed production with new episodes of the show expected to begin airing Monday.

A study by the UCLA Anderson Forecast estimated that the latest Hollywood strike could cost the Los Angeles area's economy 380 million dollars if it lasts as long as the 22-week walkout by writers in 1988, while the non-governmental Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. had estimated roughly a loss of one billion dollars.
 
(CRI November 29, 2007)