As of late Tuesday night negotiations between the actors unions and commercial television producers in New York were ongoing - stretching through midnight when the contract between the two groups was
due to expire.
One major issue focuses on advertisers' plans to shift from a long-time pay-per-play method to one based on commercial ratings, which would be in line with the media-buying
currency advertisers and agencies now use as the basis of their deals with national TV networks.
Additionally, advertisers want to reduce the more than $20 million they pay to the actors unions'
- the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television & Radio Artists - pension and health plans. Advertisers feel they pay too large a share compared to TV and film production deals with
the unions.
In response, the actors' unions have been asking for a 6% annual salary gain over three years, as well as keeping the pay-for-play formula.
The existing agreement has been
extended a few times. In 2006, a two-year extension was agreed upon to give time to complete an independent study concerning compensation of actors. Then in August 2008, it was extended again until
March 31, 2009.
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