Reality TV Writers and Producers to Stage Street Theater Protest During Advertising Industry Conference

Reality TV Writers and Producers to Stage Street Theater Protest During Advertising Industry Conference

WHO: Reality television writers and producers in conjunction with players from the improvisational group Upright Citizens Brigade Theater.

[Biographies of writers and producers in attendance are attached to this advisory.]

WHAT: Street theater protest of the deceptive use of product integration in television

WHERE: Jack H. Skirball Center, New York University, 566 LaGuardia Pl., New York, New York

WHEN: Tuesday, September 27, 2005; 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. EDT

BACKGROUND:

The amazing popularity of reality television has turned TV product integration into a billion-dollar industry, with advertisers paying top dollar to have blatant plugs for their products inserted within hit shows ranging from "American Idol" to "Queer Eye" to "Survivor." In the process, the line between content and advertising is being erased -- and some of America's favorite shows are turning into infomercials.

As part of Advertising Week, which runs all this week in New York, top advertising and entertainment executives will be meeting tomorrow, Sept. 27, at Advertising Age's "Madison and Vine" conference to discuss this trend. Not surprisingly, such reality-TV heavy hitters as Reveille CEO Ben Silverman and Mark Burnett's partner Conrad Riggs will be in attendance. But the people whose job it is to try to make this uneasy marriage of commerce and content work -- reality TV writers and producers -- have not been invited.

To protest their exclusion -- and call attention to the runaway growth of TV product integration -- writers and editors from some of the top reality shows, along with players from the improvisational group Upright Citizen's Brigade Theater, will stage a street theater parody tomorrow from 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. (EDT) outside of the Madison and Vine conference. The event is being sponsored by the Writers Guild of America, west.

Writers and producers from such reality shows as "The Bachelorette," "The Swan," "Cupid," "Trista & Ryan's Wedding," "Blind Date" and "Bands on the Run" will be present and available for interviews. In addition, Patric M. Verrone, the newly elected President of the Writers Guild of America, west, will be available to be interviewed by phone.

Players from New York's popular and hilarious improvisational group Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (including Jeff Hiller, Rob Lathan, Dave Thunder and Anthony Atamanuik) will be performing in the street theater parody.

For more information, please contact:

Steven Goldberg, Sitrick And Company 212-573-6100; steven_goldberg@sitrick.com

Giovanna Falbo, Sitrick And Company 212-573-6100; giovanna_falbo@sitrick.com

BIOGRAPHIES

Victoria Dew

Dew has worked in feature film production and development at Warner Bros. and Disney. Since 2000, her writer, segment producer, field producer and story producer credits include: "Renovate My Family" (FOX), "Next" (MTV), "Movie and a Makeover" (TBS) and "Adoption" (Hallmark).

Rebecca Hertz

Hertz has worked on such TV shows as "The Swan" (FOX), "Cupid" (CBS), "Survival of the Richest" (WB), "The Complex" (FOX) and "Big Man on Campus" (WB).

Kim Hoffman

Hoffman has worked on such TV shows as "Caesars 24/7" (A&E), "Classmates" (FOX), "Blind Date" (Universal), and "Smart Solutions" (HGTV). In 2003, she was nominated for an Emmy for her work on SoapNet's "SoapTalk."

J. Ryan Stradal

Stradal has worked on such TV shows as "The Bachelorette" (ABC), "Trista & Ryan's Wedding" (ABC), "Bands On The Run" (VH1), "Rock The House" (VH1), "Movie House" (MTV) and "Outback Jack" (TBS).

PRNewswire -- Sept. 26

Source: Writer's Guild of America, west, Inc.

Web site: http://www.wga.org/

------- Profile: Ent