SAG negotiations broken off, for now..

It isn't over yet, but it is for now. The studios have rejected the Screen Actors Guild's (SAG) offer to extend talks for the third time. The AFTRA (Radio and TV) was scheduled to talk with the studios over two weeks ago, but because the SAG and the studios weren't able to make a deal they moved these negotiations two times.

In our last update we mentioned how the SAG lowered its demand for double residuals from DVD sales from +100% to +15%. This was one of the major disputes in the negotiations. And while it looked like progression, it wasn't enough. "With SAG's continued adherence to unreasonable demands in both new and traditional media, continuing negotiations at this time does not make sense," the studios said.

It seems understandable the studios want to go talk with the AFTRA. For they promised it two weeks ago. But the SAG doesn't share this opinion. "We made significant moves in their direction," Doug Allen of the SAG said. "We're trying to get the deal done and we're not the ones who walked away."

No, but weren't you the one stalling? It's always difficult to judge from the outside. But putting the blame on each other won't be helping. With talks probably resuming at the end of May, June 30 is becoming awfully close. The AFTRA seems to take a different approach this week, they will go into a 'press blackout' during the negotiations, smart.