Foreign Press Association Pitches Solution for Golden Globes

Press Group Wants WGA to Allow Writers to Work Awards Show

By Linda Haugsted -- Multichannel News, 1/6/2008 7:21:00 PM

Members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association hope Monday to announce a solution to the strike to the Writers Guild of America strike that will allow the Golden Globe awards to move forward with the participation of actors.

Jorge Camara, president of the HFPA, said the strike has put the press group in an “extremely difficult position” with its award show. The WGA has refused the group a waiver that will allow writers to prepare scripted comments for the show, and the members of the Screen Actors Guild have vowed not to cross the picket lines at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, site of the telecast.

“The entire awards show season is being put in jeopardy by the intransigence of a few big media corporations,” said WGA West president Patric Verrone.

Attorneys for the HFPA have been meeting with union representatives for more than a week.

“We are making every effort to work out a solution that will permit the Golden Globes to take place with the creative community present to participate. We hope to announce a resolution to this unfortunate predicament on Monday,” Camara said in prepared statement.

Lack of stars could curb ratings not only for the awards program, scheduled to air Jan. 13 on NBC, but also cable networks such as E! Entertainment television, which cover the arrival of stars. The cable networks build major ad sales initiatives around such special event programming.