Writers Guild Debuts Enhanced TV Staffing Platform for Agent-Less Members

By Gene Maddaus

A court has upheld the conviction of a schoolteacher for the so-called “lady in the lake” murder of his wife, following a posthumous appeal by his son.

A day after a Los Angeles federal judge dismissed most of the Writers Guild of America's claims in its lawsuit against the major agencies, the guild wrote a note to its members on its next steps. "This is not the 'victory' they predicted or that they needed, which was the complete dismissal of the lawsuit," read a letter signed by the WGA's agency negotiating committee, referring to plaintiff agencies CAA, UTA and WME.

Performers’ union SAG-AFTRA and major motion picture and television studios will commence bargaining on Monday ahead of a June 30 contract extension, the union and studio alliance said Friday in unexpected news.

A coalition of Hollywood unions and guilds on Monday sent an email to their combined membership, which numbers about a half-million workers, emphasizing solidarity and providing links to a variety of resources.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has agreed to a proposal from the Writers Guild of America that talks between the parties, delayed from March 23 by the pandemic, will start next month, according to a letter obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.

Construction of the NHS Louisa Jordan has been completed and will be able to take patients from tomorrow.

The Writers Guild of America West is putting pressure on CBS to lengthen the number of sick days available to journalists covering the coronavirus outbreak. In a recent petitionpenned in March, the writers' union calls on the network to provide at least 14 days of paid sick leave tonews, web, digital, and promo writers that have been hospitalized with COVID-19, self-isolated due to COVID-19 infection or potential exposure and/or are caregivers for individuals that have contracted COVID-19.

Talks between the Writers Guild of America and major motion picture and television studios, originally scheduled to begin March 23, may start next month: the WGA West proposed in an email disclosed Friday that the parties exchange initial proposals May 1 and begin talks the week of May 11. The email, from WGAW executive director David Young to Carol Lombardini, president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, also proposes extending the existing contract to June 30.

Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy joined actor Jack McBrayer online on Thursday night to launch a new comedy live-stream series.

The Writers Guild of America on Thursday debuted an enhanced online staffing and development platform to connect writers directly with showrunners, producers, and executives. The revamped platform features upgraded capabilities and an improved user experience to help writers find jobs, the guild said.

Irn Bru makers AG Barr have donated a lorry-load of water bottles to thirsty workers at a Scots super-hospital being built to tackle the c oronavirus crisis.

By David Robb

On Wednesday, the Writers Guild of America East filed an unfair labor practice charge withthe National Labor Relations Board that accuses NBCUniversal of union-busting over the January closure of thenonfiction production unit Peacock Productions. The move follows a February request for more information about the nature of the union-shop shuttering.

By Brian Steinberg

By Dave McNary