The Details the Moguls Don't Want You to Know

Comments (0) By Nikki Finke Wednesday, Jul 2 2008

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But the AMPTP is still sending out stealth press releases to media outlets bashing SAG, a tactic used on the WGA as well. Most recently, SAG and the AMPTP sat in negotiations going over the guild’s new media proposals, which SAG had just changed. “And no one even made mention of the press release brutally badmouthing SAG. To get around the media blackout, the AMPTP sent it to company members and didn’t put it on the Web site,” the actors guild member recalled.

Overt acrimony is being kept to a minimum, so the mood is outwardly cordial. Much of that is due to Doug Allen, whose even temper and friendly demeanor is disarming to Nick Counter. Despite his encyclopedic command of contract minutiae and his physically imposing size, which dominates the proceedings, Allen is praised by his colleagues for knowing when to stand down and let others handle areas that are their expertise. For instance, John McGuire, SAG’s senior adviser, based in New York, whose specialty is product integration. “That confidence reportedly comes from Doug dealing with the NFL on multi-multimillion-dollar contracts.”

Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images

The Two Allens: SAG's Doug Allen and Alan Rosenberg want the moguls to get involved.

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However, the WGA’s Dave Young was a far better labor organizer. The actors have yet to effectively use YouTube or many of the other PR weaponry available. SAG also has not done a good enough job explaining to members what the guild sees as its leverage. SAG has long felt that pressure from within the shut-down movie industry would beat the AMPTP, because if this is drawn out by employers, then some Oscar-worthy films may not be screened in time for the Academy Awards.

But perhaps SAG should borrow a page from the WGA playbook. It involved CBS Inc boss Les Moonves, who found out that WGA exec director Dave Young had organized a conference to talk to CBS institutional investors about how much the writers strike was costing and how much the corporation was losing as a result.

I’m told that Moonves, who’d just had dinner with Young a few days earlier, called him and said: “David, this will not be helpful to bring in the investor community and tell them your side. I’m asking you to call it off.” But Young would only cancel the confab if Moonves pledged to pressure the rest of the moguls for a quick end to the strike.

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Moonves did, and Chernin and Iger got the media credit. This sort of blackmail is a sound strategy that SAG could use on the Big Media companies this time around. Then the running and screaming will really begin.

Also read Nikki Finke's "Calm Down. SAG Will Not Be a WGA Strike Sequel."