Former Sen. Bob Kerrey to helm MPAA

LOS ANGELES, July 24 (UPI) -- Former U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., is set to become the new head of the Motion Picture Association of America.

Kerrey, a Vietnam veteran, was offered the job two months ago, and final negotiations including a $1.2 million salary have been nearly hammered out, The Hollywood Reporter said Friday.

"I do think it's a done deal," a Washington insider told THR Thursday. "It's just a question of picking a starting date."

Kerrey is president of the New School in New York and reportedly wants to make sure he turns that leadership over to good hands before settling on a start date for his new position.

"He is not a guy who is going to walk away from a commitment, and he has a commitment to wind down at the New School," another source told the entertainment industry newspaer. "He's going to do that, and those at the MPAA respect that."

"The MPAA is largely an anti-piracy organization now," another source said. "One great asset Bob will bring to this job is a fresh set of eyes to then become a fresh voice. For a lot of people, he can step up and say: 'Holy cow! I don't think anybody realizes what's going on here. This is a real problem. It's cutting into real sales, real productions, and we have got to take it seriously.' He's a powerful and effective speaker and presence who can make a real impact on the public discourse on why people should care about piracy."