WGA STRIKE UPDATE: NBC Cites Federal Labor Law in Leno Monologue Defense
Network blasts Writers Guild of America Plans to 'Investigate' Jay Leno's Authorship of His Tonight Show Monologue
By Ben Grossman -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/4/2008 11:30:00 PM
NBC fired back at the Writers Guild of America late Friday, saying that any enforcement of strike rules against Tonight Show host Jay Leno would violate federal labor laws.
“It is unfortunate that the WGA is contemplating plans to ‘investigate’ Jay's authorship of his Tonight Show monologue,” NBC said in a statement. “The WGA agreement clearly permits Jay to create and perform his own monologue. The enforcement of strike rules against Jay in these circumstances would violate the federal labor laws.”
NBC and the WGA are in the midst of a fundamental disagreement over Leno’s right to write and perform his own monologue on his late-night talk show.
For full coverage of the strike, click here.
