A breakthrough in contract talks has been reached between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and could lead to a tentative deal as early as next week, reports The Associated Press.
The two sides breached the gap Friday on the thorniest issues, those concerning compensation for projects distributed via the Internet. Significant progress has reportedly been made and a deal might be announced within a week.
Major points of contention include how much and when writers are paid for projects delivered online after they’ve been broadcast on TV.
The studios have been insisting that programs be streamed online for a certain period, deemed promotional, during which writers would forgo residuals. When payment kicked in, the companies sought to limit it to a flat $1,200 fee, while the guild wanted a percentage of a distributor’s revenue.
Although work remains to be done on elements of the agreement, prospects for a deal appeared solid. The tentative agreement would have to be approved by a majority of guild members.
