SAG Talks Breakdown

The 18-day contract negotiations between Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the AMPTP have not been fruitful. Today the Associatied Press reports that the AMPTP has broken off the talks stating that SAG's demands in relation to DVD sales and online content was "unreasonable". For anyone that followed the negotiations between the WGA and the AMPTP six months ago this is a familiar scenario.

"With SAG's continued adherence to unreasonable demands in both new and traditional media, continuing negotiations at this time does not make sense," the producers said in a statement.

The guild responded in a statement by saying the producers' decision to end talks after 18 days was unfortunate.

Both sides have said they sought to avoid a repeat of the 100-day writers strike that ended in February. The union's contract for films and prime-time TV shows expires June 30.

"We made significant moves in their direction," Doug Allen, the guild's executive director, told The Associated Press. "We're trying to get the deal done and we're not the ones who walked away."

In the meantime, the Los Angeles Times reports that the AMPTP will open negotiations immediately with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). Both AFTRA and SAG's contracts run out on June 30th.