LOS ANGELES, July 16 (UPI) -- A group of top Hollywood TV executives are fighting over reality television series with ABC and NBC accusing Fox of ripping off their ideas.
NBC's Jeff Zucker started the ruckus last weekend when he violated an unwritten rule by telling reporters details of two Fox reality projects, with ABC adding to the fury this week by telling producers not to pitch ideas to Fox because their executives will steal the ideas, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.
ABC, specifically, has accused Fox of stealing its idea for a wife-swapping show.
"The baseless allegations of theft and extortion are outrageous and unacceptable," said Gail Berman, Fox Entertainment president.
Berman said NBC was afraid Fox, who has long been a reality series leader, was gaining too much ground with young viewers.
ABC's complaints, she said, came from their own internal delays that allowed Fox to beat ABC in getting its own wife-swapping show out of the box.
Berman said she will not join the fight by revealing secrets about NBC projects, although, "I do know loads," she said.
