CBS’ Grammy Awards to be picketed by striking writers, actors and some musicians may not attend

By Jeffrey Jolson

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 1/15/08 — In the face of a Golden Globes-type boycott by actor-presenters and some music stars, The Recording Academy issued a plea to the Writers Guild today to call off its planned picketing and grant it a interim agreement like the one issued David Letterman and his Worldwide Pants company.

A spokesman for the Writer Guild said earlier they would likely not grant the waiver, though Tuesday evening they issued a statement saying they formally received the request and would ponder it further. “This request will be referred to the WGAW Board of Directors for decision.”

The Screen Actors Guild will be telling its members not to cross the line if the waiver is not granted. “The WGA has informed us that this is struck work, and they expect to have a picket line in place,” a SAG spokesman said. “In those circumstances, our members have been unwilling to cross a picket line, and we anticipate that solidarity will continue.” Nominees that are also actors include Justin Timberlake, Queen Latifah, Tim McGraw, Beyonce, Jack White, Jon Bon Jovi and Fantastia.

The 50th annual Grammy Awards are scheduled to air February 10 on CBS live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The additional plea just released by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences did not work for the Globes and Dick Clark Productions, though the WGA today granted an interim agreement to the NAACP so that its Image Award could still be broadcast. (See related Hollywood Today story).

The Grammys would not be struck as hard as the Globes which had all 70 actor nominees boycott the show and force a cancellation — yet a dozen or so SAG actors who present Grammys and an unknown number of strike-sympathetic artists could refuse to cross the picket line, even symbolically. In addition, the Pierre Cossette-produced CBS show uses television writers who cannot work.

The union musicians on the show are covered by AFM and AFTRA contracts which have no-strike clauses, which those unions say will be honored.

National Academy of Recording Arts and Science president Neil Portnow released a lengthy statement noting those key musicians unions stand behind the show and asking the WGA to grant it a waiver, citing NARAS’ educational and advocacy endeavors.

“Today the producers of the 50th Annual Grammy Awards requested an interim agreement from the WGA for the telecast on February 10. The Recording Academy remains hopeful that there will be a quick and positive response,” said Portnow.

“The Academy is similarly pleased and gratified that AFTRA and AFM, the two unions that have long been the only ones with jurisdiction and representation of the musical talent on the show, stand alongside us in our efforts to present the 50th Annual Grammy Awards at a level that millions of music fans around the world expect and deserve.

In an argument likely to be repeated in spirit by the Motion Picture Academy in coming weeks, Portnow noted “Grammy Week represents the most significant worldwide music event of the year. And we are in a different industry than the motion picture and television business; I am quite certain that most are aware of the extremely difficult and challenging conditions facing our industry’s creators and companies, unparalleled in our history. This year, more than ever, Grammy Week and the milestone of a 50th Grammy Awards, along with the 50th Anniversary of the founding of The Recording Academy, are a centerpiece and beacon of hope, optimism, and represent literally multi-millions of dollars in sales, promotion, and marketing for our musicians and as such, take on far more significance than simply three and one-half hours of television programming.”

The American Federation of Musicians and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists released a joint statement urging the writers guild to halt picketing plans, also citing educational and advocacy grounds.

“AFM and AFTRA are encouraged by today’s news that the Writers Guild of America has signed an interim agreement with the NAACP that will allow “The 39th NAACP Image Awards,” to be telecast as scheduled. John Cossette Productions, Inc.–the producer of the 50th Annual Grammy Awards telecast-
-has made a written offer to the WGA to sign a similar interim agreement to allow the Grammy Awards to be telecast as planned on February 10, 2008. The Grammy Awards, in conjunction with the twelve events that surround the telecast, are the primary events that sustain the important educational, charitable, and advocacy activities of The Recording Academy to benefit the entire recording industry.”

“In light of the news that the producer of the Grammy Awards has made a firm offer to the WGA, AFM and AFTRA strongly urge all of our members to support the important work of The Recording Academy by participating in the Grammy events. We also strongly encourage all participating union members to express support for our ongoing efforts to ensure that musical artists and creative talent receive fair compensation for their work in digital media, as well as support for our brothers and sisters in the WGA.”

Portnow’s statement went on to say “On January 8, 2008, I met with WGA President Patric Verrone to outline these and other facts. During that meeting, I explained that the music industry had for more than a decade been fighting to obtain fair and just compensation for the original digital content of its members and thus, of course, supported the WGA in its efforts to obtain like results for its own members. I outlined in great detail the scope, reach, and vital importance of Grammy Week and the 50th Annual Grammy Awards telecast not only to The Recording Academy, but to the worldwide music industry and creative community as a whole.”

“I explained how those in the music and creative industry depend upon the annual proceeds from the Grammy Awards telecast to fund a whole variety of worthwhile programs such as our MusiCares Foundation, which literally saves lives and offers millions of dollars of aid to music people in need, our Grammy Foundation’s programs to advance the importance and role of music and the arts in our schools and in society, and our efforts in Washington, D.C. to advocate for the rights and needs of our music community. In short, no awards show touches more lives of those in need than the Grammys.

“The Academy owns all rights to the Grammy Awards telecast but does not produce the show and is not a signatory with the WGA. We, however, fully support the offer of the producer, Cossette Productions, to immediately execute an interim agreement under the same terms as those arrangements signed by the WGA with David Letterman‘s company, Worldwide Pants (airing on the same network as the Grammy telecast) as well as other companies. Executing such an agreement would both allow the talented writers for the show to be compensated fairly for their valuable services and allow us to demonstrate support for the creative community of writers in a tangible and meaningful way.

“We also want to underscore that the Grammy Awards telecast is now, and will always be, a union show. More than 700 proud union members work for months to create the music industry’s gold standard of awards shows. That includes approximately 250 AFM members, 150 AFTRA members, and 2 WGA members.

“In closing, let me reiterate our desire to bring this matter to a positive resolution working with the WGA. And to slightly alter a famous saying in our world, ‘The Show will go on.’ We will take whatever action is necessary to ensure that a program so vital to our industry, artists, charitable beneficiaries, and the great city of Los Angeles is held as planned. Accordingly, all preparations by The Academy for our milestone 50th Annual Grammy Awards remain in full-swing,” Portnow concluded.