• Variety, Friday, November 16, 2007 11:30 AM

As they gird themselves for a lengthy writers strike, the major networks have started a round of belt-tightening. At Fox, for instance, execs were recently told to start reigning in the discretionary spending, including things like travel and meals. That follows a move by NBC to pull out of the TV Critics Association press tour so as to be fiscally "prudent." And The Peacock Network may be weighing further cutbacks as well.

Nothing's been announced yet at CBS, but some executives there are also pushing financial restraint. "All of the Fox Entertainment Group will be looking at a variety of cost-containment initiatives, all designed to save jobs should the strike continue for months and months," says a News Corp. spokeswoman. The company has a history of cutting costs to stave off job cuts and instituted similar measures after 9/11 to avoid them.

At ABC, while there have been no official cost-cutting directives, insiders expect they are on the way. Some workers are being encouraged not to incur overtime.

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