The AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) put out the following press release:
SAG has indicated they need more time to prepare a response to AMPTP's final offer of June 30, 2008 and SAG will respond to the Producers' final offer at AMPTP's headquarters on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 2 p.m. The Producers remain hopeful that SAG will accept our final offer.
The results of the AFTRA contract vote should come out any moment. AMPTP’s willingness to extend their final offer makes one believe that they are confident that it will be voted in and there will be pressure on SAG to agree to the deal. Hopefully, this will allow companies like Disney to get a new contract and allow Hollywood to get back to work making the movies and television shows we want to see.
Quick Takes:
Media Networks: Disney announced that they will not charge small cable operators any fees to retransmit their owned and operated ABC stations. By law, cable companies have to have an agreement with stations in order to carry their signal. Many stations ask for fees or carriage of a less desired channel in order for the cable company to have consent to carry their signal. This gesture of good will might help Disney as they try and discourage Congress for forcing a-la-carte cable pricing which would allow subscribers to pick which channels they want to pay for. This could affect Disney by not getting fees from every subscriber for their cable channels.
Parks and Resorts: Celebrity Chef Cat Cora wants you to submit your Disney videos to the new Disney Parks You Tube Channel. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate user generated content, like blogs? They drive me nuts. Sorry, had to vent.
Consumer Products: While not Disney related, MSNBC has a report on how various consumer products companies are offering less bang for the buck. Luckily Disney isn’t following suit. With my Premium Annual Pass, I now get to go play 8-holes of golf! Granted I am losing access to six clubs on Pleasure Island, but isn’t that really an addition by subtraction?
Disney Interactive Media: Disney.com is hosting a video of T-Squad signing “Second Star to the Right” from Disney Mania 5. Why they are highlighting Disney Mania 5 instead of Disney Mania 6 is beyond me. I know T-Squad is hotter than ever…. Hehe just kidding.
What to Watch: On Wednesday, ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball at 7et will be St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies. It’s no Angels game, but at least its baseball.
Video of the Day: Bloomberg has a video of Bob Iger in which he answers none of their questions. Earnings will be announced on July 30th, that is when we will get the real answers.
News from Around the Web:
ABC News: ABC News has the latest on the battle between Anheuser and InBev. Anheuser-Busch is trying to slow down InBev’s take over attempt by claiming of, “"an illegal plan and scheme by InBev, through a course of deceptive conduct, to acquire control of Anheuser-Busch at a bargain price.” Did I mention that I am glad I don’t work at SeaWorld right now?
NY Times: The New York Times reports that Disney sponsor, Siemens, is laying off 4% of its workforce. I guess we should have seen this coming as they had already cut the ending of Spaceship Earth.
USA Today: USA Today has a dispatch with Grey’s Anatomy’s Chandra Wilson discussing why her co-star Katherine Heigl did not want to be nominated for an Emmy. You know what Chandra is really thinking, “YAY! LESS COMPETION!!!”
LA Times: The LA Times reports that the Hawaiian Islands’ reef fish are declining. I am surprised that the anti-Disney media hasn’t yet pegged this unfortunate occurrence on Disney’s announcement of the Grand Hawaiian Resort. Stupid media.
Orlando Sentinel: Folks are selling expired Fast Passes on EBay. How tacky! You have to be some kind of a special loser to try and take advantage of the Fast Pass system. This is why Annual Passholders have such a bad rap.
Variety: Ted Koppel, formerly of ABC, has signed on as a contributing analyst for the BBC. It takes a special kind of American to move on from his job at the AMERICAN Broadcasting Company by joining the BRITISH Broadcasting Corporation on the Monday following the Fourth of July. We had to fight two wars to gain our independence and Mr. Koppel is laughing at our founding fathers faces. Shame on you Mr. Koppel! Are you interested in buying some Fast Passes on Ebay?