AFTRA: Talks on The Network Code Delayed Until March 7

American Federation of Television & Radio Artists Was Ready to Begin Negotiations Next Week

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/11/2008 5:34:00 PM

The American Federation of Television & Radio Artists agreed to put off the start of its contract talks with networks and studios.

Talks were scheduled to begin next week on a contract, dubbed The Network Code, which covers actors and off-camera talent on all manner of shows, including American Idol, Deal or No Deal, Days of Our Lives, Saturday Night Live, The Late Show with David Letterman and others.

The move comes as there continues to be no deal between those same networks and studios and striking writers.

The networks asked to put off the start of talks until March 7, although whether that indicated that there could be some movement by then on the writers front was unclear.

But in any event, the guild said that while it was ready to start talking next week, "given the unsettled state of other talks already in progress, we believe we can best serve AFTRA members' interests by briefly postponing our negotiations."