While quarterly reports have been a great surprise for the media and entertainment industry, the news that the talks between the Hollywood studios and the Screen Actors Guild have broken off isn't.
About an hour and a half after a deadline the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) had set, news came that after three weeks of negotiations contract talks had stalled.
In a statement, the AMPTP said, "SAG's continued adherence to unreasonable demands" were the reason things couldn't be worked out.
One of the major blocks are proposals by the union to increase the payments actors get for DVD sales. The other key blockage relates to new digital media platforms actors are demanding a piece of the action on.
It would definitely be bad news if another strike takes place, as quarterly results for the major media companies after the 3-month screenwriters strike have been encouraging.
The current contract between SAG and the AMPTP expires on June 30.
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