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Check out Recent Issues 11-14-06 Tuesday's OTR Send your opinions to
BRUIN74@aol.com.
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SOME GOOD NEWS
My latest PET-CT scan shows a reduction in the cancer in my chest. That comes from the CT portion of the test. The CT also shows more cancer in my abdomen, while the PET shows less cancer in my abdomen. Yes, that is confusing. My doc says the CT would likely be more accurate. Nevertheless, the good news is that it appears the oxaliplatin that I took must've had some positive effect in the fighting the cancer. But as you may recall, I stopped taking it because of two allergic reactions. So now we will see if there may be a way to work around the allergy problem. I'll discuss that with my oncologist next week.
It's the first positive news I've had in a long time. And again, I am pleased that the cancer still has not spread to a major organ. So let me thank you for all of your support and prayers. It could be helping! Though I should also add that my back pain has gotten worse lately, and we're still not sure just what is causing that pain. So while all is less than perfect, it is nice to have some positive news.
WRITERS GUILD REJECTS CBS CONTRACT PROPOSAL
This from WGA-East:
“The
membership has spoken, rejected CBS’s final package, and told CBS what
we’ve been telling them for the past 20 months we’ve been negotiating –
that this offer is unacceptable,” says Mona Mangan, executive director of the
Writers Guild of America, East. “With their vote, our members have rejected
CBS’s call for wage increases far below the cost of living and industry
standard, a two-tier workforce that is particularly punitive to local radio
employees, and reduced job security, all of which were cornerstones of this
rejected CBS proposal. CBS must
commit to quality news by respecting their employees who work so hard to put
their product on the air.”
“It’s
time for CBS finally to listen to its employees and our members,” says David
Young, executive director of the Writers Guild of America, West. “It’s time
for CBS to come back to the bargaining table, negotiate in good faith, and
offer our members a respectful, fair contract that compensates them for their
hard work and continued contribution to CBS.”
The
CBS contract rejected by the membership contained the following proposals:
- A 65-month contract (4/l/05 through 8/30/10) with wages retroactive only to September 2006.
- A two-tier wage package: television and network radio members in one tier and local radio members in another.
- A 12% wage increase over the next 45 months for television and network radio, an average 2.2% per year over the duration of the 65-month contract.
- Wage increases for local radio members averaging 1.48% per year over the duration of the 65-month contract, that would total 8% over the next 45 months.
- The right to assign non-Guild KFWB-Radio employees to write and edit at KNX-Radio.
- The ability to merge or combine Guild shops with non-Guild units, and in doing so potentially force the Guild out of those shops.
In addition, the rejected contract offer did not include Guild proposals that would have:
- Increased job protection and benefits for temporary employees.
- Provided for additional severance for employees who lose their jobs due to a merger or consolidation.
- Increased the number of employees eligible for CBS retiree health benefits.
- Offered enrollment of full-time employees in the Writers’ Guild Pension Plan, which would give meaningful retirement savings to employees who otherwise have no option but the CBS Fund the Future plan.
The
WGA-CBS Negotiating Committee plans to request new dates for negotiating
sessions from CBS. To date, no new
sessions have been scheduled. The two sides last met on November 1.
The
WGA-CBS national agreement covers newswriters, editors, desk assistants,
production assistants, graphic artists, promotion writers, and researchers in
The
Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West are labor
unions representing writers in motion picture, broadcast, cable, and news and
new media industries in both entertainment and news. The Writers Guilds are
active in legislative activities on the state, federal, and international
levels with a special focus on globalization, labor, communications, and
copyrights. They also conduct a number of programs, seminars, and events on
issues of interest to, and on behalf of writers.
An insider tells OTR that Lauren Sanchez quit this new KTTV show the day before they began taping. The word is that she felt she wasn't being paid enough, or just didn't want to do the extra work. I emailed Sanchez to find out why she quit, but she did not respond.
Sanchez has proven herself not to be any whiz about Hollywood, so just why they wanted her for this job, I don't know. Of course she's also still anchoring the news on KCOP, so go figure.
WORTH REMEMBERING WHAT MOONEY WAS LIKE
Among those speaking out about Michael Richards' racist tirade has been black comedian Paul Mooney. I couldn't help but remember how rude Mooney was to me when I interviewed him at the Laugh Factory while working at KNX in 2001. Here is what I wrote about it back then in OTR:
REPORTING IS NOT ALWAYS FUN
Yesterday, I was assigned to cover the Laugh Factory's annual event, where they serve free Thanksgiving dinner and put on a free comedy show. Owner Jamie Masada has been doing this for 22 years on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. You'd think this would have been a very pleasant event to cover, wouldn't you? Check out the amazingly arrogant attitude of one of the comedians who Masada asked me to interview. And no, this was not a comedic put-on. What got this man so mad? He got upset when I asked him what his last name was. His name is Paul Mooney. Here is part of this 'lovely' holiday interview.
Ron: The name sounds familiar, if that helps
Mooney: Yeah, please, you're boring me. but go ahead. You guys are too funny, you should know about what you talk about. Go ahead.
Ron: I know what I...
Mooney: If I were Jewish you'd know who I was. We won't get into that. Go ahead.
Ron: I'm here not so much to cover you, but to cover the event.
Mooney: The event is the event. I am the event. I've been doing it for 20 years. What do you want from me? How many times have you been here?
Ron: Once before.
Mooney: Okay, well you have a short memory, but go ahead.
Later on, he assured me that the hostility was real, "as real as you only coming here once in 20 years."
Of course I suppose the fact that I've only been reporting in LA for less than five years doesn't much matter to a bruised ego. As a reporter, you're going to run into jerks occasionally. That is part of the job. Suggesting that I have some Jewish bias on comedians was obviously bigoted and ignorant. But think of what a terrible representative this guy is for what is a terrific event. I know insecurity and hostility are not foreign to comedians. But you'd think for an event like this, you'd want someone with far less anger, or at least the ability to hide his disappointment that after all these years, he remains less than famous. Jamie Masada seems to be such a generous and classy person. He really needs to pick spokespeople who better reflect his attitude, and his event. Mooney was much closer to sad, than to funny.
AMY MURPHY
An insider says that Amy Murphy is being made fulltime staff at KTTV/KCOP. Apparently she'll be doing weekend weather, and reporting during the week. Congrats to Murphy.
I invite all you to write in and tell your fellow readers a little about yourself. What you do for a living, why you are interested in TV news and anything else you'd like to include about yourself. You can email to
Bruin74@aol.com .LETTERS TO OTR
If you want a letter published, please be sure to include your first and last name. Also, it helps me if you can write "LETTERS" in the subject line. Thanks!
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