WGA presses RHI claims

RHI, Levinson accused of not paying residuals

By DAVE MCNARY

The Writers Guild of America West will file claims against RHI Entertainment and Larry Levinson Prods. for allegedly failing to pay residuals to dozens of scribes for their work on TV movies.

The WGA West held a meeting among the affected scribes at its headquarters Wednesday afternoon.

Producer Larry Levinson did not respond to a request for comment. A rep for RHI responded to Daily Variety by saying, "We are not aware of any such complaint and we continue to pay residuals to the WGA regularly."

WGA West spokesman Neal Sacharow said that the meeting involved alleged non-payment of residuals along with the alleged failure to report residuals. "We will be filing claims so that members are paid what they're owed," he said.

Levinson had run afoul with the below-the-line Intl. Alliance of Theatrical & Stage Employees earlier this year over its move to use non-union crews on the upcoming NBC telepic "Megastorm," which drew pickets to shooting locations in Calabasas and Simi Valley.

RHI Entertainment is owned by founders Robert Halmi Jr. and Robert Halmi Sr. along with affiliates of Kelso & Co. It has an exclusive programming alliance with ION Television that runs into July and provides for RHI to program the 7-11 p.m. periods on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.

Recent RHI projects include "The Last Templar," "Meteor," "The Storm," "Alice in Wonderland," "The Phantom," "Knights of Bloodsteel" and "Riverworld." Recent Levinson productions include "Bound By a Secret," "Chasing a Dream," "Love Finds a Miracle," "Love Finds a Home" and "Relative Stranger."

Read the full article at:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118004240.html

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