TV networks brace for potential actors strike

By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - As Hollywood recovers from a tumultuous writers strike that ended in February, U.S. television networks are bracing for a possible actors walkout that could delay the upcoming fall TV season.

Jitters over renewed labor unrest have mounted in recent days as contract talks between the Screen Actors Guild and the major film and TV studios have grown increasingly rancorous with little or no sign that a settlement is near.

The three-year labor pact covering film and prime-time TV work for 120,000 SAG members is due to expire in two weeks.

SAG leaders triggered an outcry from the studios late last week by suggesting a deal was unlikely to be reached by the June 30 deadline and saying they were considering whether to seek permission of rank-and-file members to call a strike.

The talks, which began in April, have bogged down on some of the same issues that led to a work stoppage by screenwriters earlier this year, including payments earned by union talent from DVD sales and work created for the Internet.

The writers strike brought production on most scripted TV series to a halt, idled thousands of workers and forced networks to replace sidelined programs with a glut of reruns and reality shows. TV ratings already in a slump sagged further. One estimate put the total cost to the Los Angeles-area economy at $3 billion.

With so much at stake, studio and network bosses are said to be preparing strike contingencies.

The studios' bargaining agent, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, acknowledged last week that continued labor uncertainty has curtailed movie production and disrupted pilot development for new TV series.

Moreover, the networks are quietly considering a postponement of the traditional September launch of the next TV season as a "last resort" should a strike materialize, said Nellie Andreeva, who covers TV for The Hollywood Reporter.

"We have talked to executives (and) privately, they say, 'That's a possibility we're looking at,'" Andreeva said.

SOME TV SHOWS STAY IN PRODUCTION

Television was especially hard hit by the 100-day writers strike, and when the TV season ended last month, some shows stayed in production or started up again after a short break rather than taking off for their customary summer hiatus.

The altered production cycle could help the networks soften the blow of a potential actors strike.

About half of all prime-time dramas and sitcoms are now shooting for the fall, allowing those shows to stockpile a handful of new episodes in the event of a work stoppage, said one studio insider who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Andreeva said about two dozen shows will have two or three original episodes ready in time for a strike, including "Heroes," "House," "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "ER" and "My Name is Earl." Others, including "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives" and "The Office," will not, she said.