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Friday, November 16, 2007

Strike keeps Ellen in Los Angeles

Ellen Degeneres
Ellen Degeneres did not work on the first day of the writers' strike
Comedian Ellen DeGeneres has cancelled plans to tape her talk show in New York after writers there vowed to picket the programme as part of ongoing strikes.

DeGeneres has been criticised for continuing to host her California-based show despite being a member of the striking Writers Guild of America.

Her spokeswoman declined to say whether the New York trip had been called off because of the threat of protests.

Meanwhile, the strike is expected to hit US award shows from this weekend.

The American Music Awards will be broadcast live on US channel ABC on Sunday without last-minute topical content.

Hollywood TV and movie writers are seeking higher fees from their work released on DVD or online.

'Contract obligation'

DeGeneres did not work on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on the first day of the strike on 5 November but has since returned to work, attracting criticism.

She told her studio audience last week that, while she supported the writers, she was obliged under contract to continue her hosting duties.

Michael Winship, East Coast president of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), said he was "delighted" with DeGeneres' decision to continue to record her talk show in Burbank, California.

Writers on strike in Los Angeles
Many US award shows are scripted by writers who are now striking

"She knows that the Writers Guild East would have been (in New York) to protest her lack of solidarity, not only with her guild writing staff but all the striking members of the Writers Guild, of which she is a member."

The American Music Awards is the first in a series of US award shows that may be hit by the writers' strike.

While the script for Sunday's ceremony was written before the strike began, without writers to make revisions it will not include any topical jokes from host Jimmy Kimmel.

Nominations for the Grammys, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards are announced in December, when writers usually begin to script the subsequent award ceremonies.

A Writers Guild of America spokesman said: "Many of the awards shows are written under WGA contracts, and how the strike will affect those shows remains to be seen."

The Academy Award nominations will be announced on 22 January, 2008.

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