The striking Hollywood writers guild likely will bar its members
from working on next month's Grammys telecast, a union spokesman
said Tuesday.
Grammy organizers have yet to ask for a waiver allowing writers
to work on the show -- and if requested, "it is unlikely to be
granted," Writers Guild of America spokesman Gregg Mitchell
said.
The Recording Academy said it did not have an immediate
comment.
Meanwhile, the guild said it would allow its members to work on
the NAACP Image Awards and would not picket the Feb. 14 show at the
Shrine Auditorium.
The Image Awards honor those who promote diversity in the arts.
Awards in 44 categories, including movies, TV and literature, will
be presented in the ceremony broadcast live on Fox.
"Because of the historic role the NAACP has played in struggles
like ours, we think this decision is appropriate to jointly achieve
out goals," guild leader Patric Verrone said at a news
conference.
The writers guild refused to grant a waiver for last weekend's
Golden Globe awards and threatened to picket that event.
Actors were advised by their union to stay away from the
ceremony, prompting Globes organizers to replace the normally
glitzy telecast with a scaled-down news conference lacking stars,
glamour and ad revenue.
Next month's Academy Awards could face the same fate.
The writers guild said it had not yet decided whether to picket
the Feb. 10 Grammys ceremony, set to air live on CBS.
Screen Actors Guild spokeswoman Pamela Greenwalt said her
union's members "have been unwilling to cross a picket line and we
anticipate that solidarity will continue."
In a separate development, four major studios have canceled
dozens of writers' contracts in a possible concession that the
current television season cannot be saved, the Los Angeles Times
reported.
The deals were terminated by 20th Century Fox Television, CBS
Paramount Network Television, NBC Universal and Warner Bros.
(China Daily/Agencies January 16, 2008)