SAG, producers keep meeting under wraps

LOS ANGELES, July 16 (UPI) -- A group of Hollywood TV and film producers said it met with representatives of the Screen Actors Guild Wednesday to discuss its final contract offer.

SAG leaders last week rejected what the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers had described as its final offer, then presented AMPTP with a counteroffer the producers said they didn't plan to consider.

AMPTP announced Tuesday that SAG had asked for a meeting Wednesday, but noted SAG did not say what specifically the meeting would be about.

The latest SAG-AMPTP contract expired July 1.

"A small group from AMPTP and SAG met today," AMPTP said in a statement issued Wednesday evening. "Both parties agreed that the contents of the meeting should be kept private. No further meetings have been scheduled."

SAG posted a similar statement on its Web site.

"Small contingents of the negotiating committees for Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers met for two hours today at AMPTP headquarters in Sherman Oaks, (Calif.). Both parties agreed to keep the contents of today's meeting confidential," SAG said. "We have no further comment."