POLICE - PICKETS MAY SHUT DOWN GLOBES

PICKETS MAY SHUT DOWN GLOBES

Although the late-night talk shows are set to return to the air next month, the Golden Globes ceremonies may not. On Thursday, Writers Guild strike coordinator Jeff Hermanson announced plans to picket the show, which would likely result in most celebrities shying away. (The New York Times reported that the WGA plans to place pickets "on the sidewalks around the Beverly Hilton Hotel," the site of the awards ceremony, thereby raising the prospect for the invited guests "of having to confront strikers as they walk up the red carpet." However, in the past the area around the hotel has been cordoned off by police and private security firms, preventing protesters from coming within shouting distance of the arriving celebrities.) Most industry observers agreed that if the Golden Globes telecast is canceled, so, too, will the Oscars telecast in February, if the strike is not settled by then. Meanwhile, Daily Variety reported that January 7 appears to be the likely date for the start of negotiations between the Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

28/12/2007