Letterman Softens The Blow During Strike
The Writers Guild of America strike continues to impact late night television, but David Letterman is doing what he can to help out non-writing staff members.
Letterman's Worldwide Pants, Inc., which independently produces "The Late Show" and "The Late, Late Show" will continue to pay the non-writing staff of both shows, the company said in a statement Thursday.
That includes "fully compensating lower-salaried employees, and providing a substantial portion of salaries for those at the higher end -- at least through the end of the year," Worldwide Pants spokesman Steven Rubenstein said in a statement obtained by The ShowBuzz.
Rubenstein said that "it is important to Dave that our staff members have some degree of support during this uncertain time."
Next week's tapings of both shows have been cancelled, CBS announced Friday. Worldwide Pants will "continue to make a week-by-week determination about future tapings."
Photos: Writers Walk
The writers have been on strike since Monday, Nov. 5 over payments for film and TV shows streamed over the Internet.
By Judy Faber