LOS ANGELES, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- TV insiders predict U.S. late-night talk show hosts will be back on the air by Jan. 7, regardless of whether the Writers Guild of America is still on strike.
Most late-night shows, in re-reuns since the WGA walked off the job Nov. 5, have experienced a drastic drop in ratings.
Talks between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers broke down last week with no new negotiations planned.
No decisions have been officially made and nobody will comment on the record, however, people close to the situation say the hosts are considering going back to work because the WGA and AMPTP are so far apart there is no telling when they are going to hammer out a new deal, Variety.com reported .
While some insiders believe David Letterman, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and Craig Ferguson will return to their shows around the same time, so none has the distinction of going back first, others say Leno and O'Brien will return in early January, regardless of what Letterman does, the trade paper said.
A major issue in the decision is reportedly the fear of a backlash from the WGA.
