Links: NBC Under Siege Edition!

NBC FIRST NETWORK TO SHOW MAJOR CRACKING
The Peacock's feathers are starting to droop. Who will be next?

NBC is quietly giving advertisers their money back. In all fairness, the CW is apparently tanking also. The real "ouch" quote is this one about NBC's new non-scripted efforts:

�We�re trying to understand NBC�s recent moves,� said Laura Caraccioli-Davis, exec vp, Starcom Entertainment. �We are concerned that it might be thinking about adopting a programming strategy like some of its sister cable networks. American Gladiator and even some of the shows they have in development, like Knight Rider, are remakes, being dusted off rather than coming up with new creations.

�NBC used to be the upscale, quality network,� she added. �We have come to expect quality, iconic programming. Maybe they are searching for the reality hit they don�t have, their own American Idol. But too much reality just doesn�t play well with advertisers.�

Like I said, ouch.

Oh, and Hulu got hacked.

But that's okay, there's always FanFare. You know, from SanDisk. Right? Guys? Um...

NBC gets picketed in Second Life. Just watch out for virtual Tommy Short showing up and heckling: "Clown car! Clown car!"

MUST READS
Because we can't recommend them enough...

Fans and writers supporting one another and joining the fight for a fair deal (Wall Street Journal)

Patrick Goldstein in the LA Times: "Why have the studios walked away from the negotiating table? Although it seemed hard to believe at first, the evidence is overwhelming that they never had any serious intention of making a fair deal, at least the kind of deal that, as Lew Wasserman might have put it, would�ve allowed both sides to come away declaring victory."

Robert J Elisberg in the Huffington Post: Why is the AMPTP allowed to gang up on each union one by one? How is that legal? (Answer: It should not be.)

Competitors are not allowed to negotiate together, to even confer together. It's called collusion. When baseball owners merely created an "information bank" for offers being made to free agent players, they were fined $280 million. Two competitors cannot talk with one another if there's just a hint of agreement. Imagine ALL competitors in an industry getting together to set ALL wages and ALL labor conditions.

It doesn't happen. Anywhere. Not "anywhere in the U.S." Anywhere in the free world.

Except Hollywood.

Between this and the FCC nonsense going on, this strike could end up spilling over into the halls of Congress. And that's the last place the conglomerates want to find themselves.

AROUND THE WEB

From Variety.com: "If the Sundance Film Festival can figure out a new formula to pay for internet downloads, why not the AMPTP?"

Local news from Minneapolis on picketers taking the writers' case to the public. Bravo to everyone who's picketing despite the chill in Minneapolis and, of course, NYC!

Petrea Burchard writes about the why SAG and the WGA are are sticking together her column in NowCasting.com's ezine, ActorsInk.

FREMANTLE RALLY

Photos submitted by Athena007 on Picasa

Jack Black rocks the crowd (Page Six)

Tenacious D performance (YouTube)

This report was sent to us by a rally goer who requested anonymity:

Fremantle Sr. VP David Johnson was seen with a picket sign and a WGA T-shirt, hanging out on the sidelines and then walking with it into his office building. A number of us noticed that and wondered "what for?" So someone asked, "You joining us with a picket sign?" He responded with a smile, "Sure, why not?"
Collecting stuff for his memorabilia collection?