News Round-up: SAG Agreement, Del Shores, Ratings

SAG and producers reach tentative agreement
After ten months of sometimes explosive negotiations, the Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have mutually agreed to terms for a contract that has yet to be finalized, according to a joint statement released by SAG and the AMPTP. No word on the details of the potential compromise--the actors and producers have been at loggerheads over a wide range of issues since the actors' contract expired in June--but SAG's national board of directors will be reviewing the proposal during a videoconference on Sunday, April 19.

Hollywood biz without borders
After years of ramping up, the international production divisions of the Hollywood majors are finally beginning to gain traction.

Roy Vongtama to appear on DAYS
"I have a recurring role on DAYS OF OUR LIVES starting April 21 and 22nd on NBC."

INTERVIEW: SORDID LIVES creator Del Shores
Shores tell DC's Jamey Giddens: "...it is the production company that owes us money, not LOGO. LOGO has been great. They do a great job with the two nickels Viacom gives them for programming. LOGO immediately wanted to do the second season, but the production company and the foreign distributor had to agree to pay their share of the production costs."

Deep Soap: ABC soaps basically have the same ratings
Sara Bibel writes: "To Brian Frons’ bosses at ABC, the identical numbers look like market forces at work. It fosters a defeatist attitude. If the ratings are going to be the same no matter what, why worry about the stories?"