You're Breaking My Balls, Here

Sigh, staying in tonight because of by persistent cough and sore throat (at least the congestion has subsided a bit).

Meanwhile, still no contract draft, per Nikki Finke (who attributes it to the AMPTP taking too long... but after quite a bit of experience assisting an agent who dealt with business affairs people on contracts far simpler than the WGA MBA... these things take time to read, to edit, and to approve. Like, a lot of time). I understand that the reasoning behind the deadline of tonight is basically two-fold. First, because the WGA East and West are having general membership meetings tomorrow, which means the contract needs to have language or the WGA can't present the contract to the members in order to gauge the membership's feelings about it in advance of Sunday's Board meeting that can choose to lift the strike before Monday if the feeling is that the membership will ratify the contract (or not). Second, because of the ticking clocks of The Oscars, pilot season (and to some extent, the rest of this season... although in truth there's not going to be many series coming back until Fall), and salvaging the studios' 2009 slate.

So, while I understand the delicate, detail-laden issue that is contract drafting... let's get this thing written and signed by the CEOs in time for the meeting tomorrow (which, I guess, would mean by 2pm Eastern). You'd think people, at this juncture, would be willing to pull a couple all-nighters.