The HFPA gets its Globes groove back

There will be no red carpet, no parties and no NBC monopolizing of the press conference to announce Sunday's winners.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. confirms that it alone will be in charge of a 30-minute news conference, open to all media, in which a few actors or directors will help HFPA President Jorge Camara announce the winners.

According to the press release about the HFPA's decision to turn this into a bona fide news event open to all media: "After discussions with NBC, Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Jorge Camara today announced that the HFPA will have complete control of its 65th Annual Golden Globe Awards Announcement that is scheduled to take place Sunday, January 13 at 6:00 p.m. PST in the International Ballroom of The Beverly Hilton. Under the new arrangement, there will be no restrictions placed on media outlets covering the press conference."

Later in the day, Dick Clark Productions, Inc. issued its own statement, saying NBC wanted to keep the show all to itself -- but was unwilling to pay for that premium. "NBC wanted to have an exclusive three hour broadcast special disguised as a news conference that would bar all other media, and yet was unwilling to pay a nominal license fee to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and Dick Clark Productions. The HFPA and Dick Clark Productions felt this arrangement was unfair and unacceptable and therefore opened up the event to all media."

NBC dismissed the statement by Dick Clark Productions as "grossly inaccurate," saying the company demanded a license fee "north of seven figures." The network said it is considering all of its options, including possible legal recourse, to address a possible breach of contract by the company, with which it has a contract to produce the Golden Globes telecast.

KNBC will carry the Golden Globe announcements live at 6 p.m.

After a conversation with Camara about the new world order for Sunday, the Writers Guild of America promises not to picket, said Jeff Hermanson, assistant executive director of WGA, West.

"We're happy to give the HFPA assurances that we will not picket," he said. "Nor are we opposed to a small number of talent helping announce the winners. Look, the HFPA has been respectful and honest with us, unlike many of the other parties involved in this situation. They should have been permitted to hold an awards show without NBC intransigently insisting on televising it knowing that the telecast of an awards show produced by a struck company would develop in a picket line. It's another example of the big media companies' poor judgment, which has characterized their actions during these negotiations."