The TV Zone

Yes, as expected, AFTRA - the big actors union that reps some 50,000 working actors - cut a deal last night with the studios on a "tentative" three year contract, and now it's SAG's turn.

SAG's the more powerful, more prestigious of the thesp unions, and whether we'll have a fall season this year or not pretty much lies in its hands right now. The AFTRA pact may seem like a good sign, but not so fast. They'll allow studios to use clips of repped-actors (without their consent) while SAG has dug in its heels on that issue.

SAG's been away from the bargaining table the last couple weeks because the producers wanted to cut a deal with the more malleable AFTRA. Mission accomplished. SAG doesn't look like it's in such a giving mood though; SAG boss Alan Rosenberg said in a letter to members, "We have said no to management’s demands of you to give up your right to consent to the use of clips containing your images"...and "SAG wants to cover ALL new media projects, no matter how low the budget. We should not allow major studios and networks to produce non-union new media projects without SAG actors because they have low budgets."

More detail than you want perhaps, but the message: It ain't over by a long shot. SAG's contract ends June 30. New talks begin shortly.