A source close to ABC Daytime says Mouse House daytime employees were all informed they would have to take across the board paycuts.

"It affects everyone, actors, writers, producers," says the source.

I guess it could be worse. They could work for NBC. Keep checking back to Daytime Confidential as the story develops.

http://www.daytimeconfidential.com/2008/11...-at-abc-daytime

http://www.daytimeconfidential.com/2008/11...-at-abc-daytime

If ABC Daytime has to make cuts and perhaps improve the shows by returning favorites as everyone takes a pay cut, here are my recommendations:

"All My Children"

Tamara Braun (Reese Williams)--send her back to Paris with Bianca

Rebecca Budig (Greenlee Smythe)-- she will be gone early Jan. 09

David Canary (Adam/Stuart Chandler)--KEEP

Bobbie Eakes (Krystal Carey Chandler)--send her away since Babe is gone

Melissa Claire Egan (Annie McDermott)--send her away to the looney house forever

Beth Ehlers (Taylor Thompson)--have her reunite with Brot and leave Pine Valley for good

Alexa Gerasimovich (Kathy Mershon/Kate Martin)--KEEP

Ricky Paull Goldin (Jake Martin)--KEEP

Vincent Irizarry (David Hayward)--KEEP

Thorsten Kaye (Zach Slater)--KEEP

Daniel Kennedy (Petey Cortlandt)--KEEP

Michael E. Knight (Tad Martin)--KEEP

Jill Larson (Opal Cortlandt)--KEEP

Susan Lucci (Erica Kane)--KEEP

Ray MacDonnell (Dr. Joe Martin)--KEEP

Cameron Mathison (Ryan Lavery)--send him away to seek happiness outside of Pine Valley

Alicia Minshew (Kendall Hart)--KEEP

James Mitchell (Palmer Cortlandt)--bump recurring, if not already happened

Brianne Moncrief (Colby Chandler)--un-recast this role to the original actress

Debbi Morgan (Angela Hubbard)--KEEP

Tonya Pinkins (Livia Frye)--is she around anymore?

Eden Riegel (Bianca Montgomery)--back to Paris PRONTO!

Cornelius Smith Jr. (Frankie Hubbard)--KEEP

Chrishell Stause (Amanda Dillon)--KEEP

Sterling Sulieman (Dre Woods)--send him away

Aiden Turner (Aidan Devane)--leave Pine Valley with Greenless happily

Elizabeth Rodriguez (Carmen Morales)--send her back to prison

Denise Vasi (Randi Morgan)--KEEP

Walt Willey (Jackson Montgomery)--KEEP

Darnell Williams (Jesse Hubbard)--KEEP

Jacob Young (JR Chandler)--KEEP

***However, bring back Julia Barr (Brooke), Marcy Walker (Liza) and Jennifer Bassey (Marian) to improve ratings.

"One Life to Live"

Eddie Alderson (Matthew Buchanan)--KEEP

Kristen Alderson (Starr Manning)--KEEP

Melissa Archer (Natalie Buchanan)--send her away out of Llanview with Jared to be happy

Camila Banus (Lola Montez)--WHO?!? write her off

Peter Bartlett (Nigel Bartholomew Smythe)--KEEP

Justis Bolding (Sarah Roberts)--she will be gone very soon

BethAnn Bonner (Talia Sahid)--send her to Washington DC to become a FBI agent, she serves no purpose for Llanview

Kathy Brier (Marcie McBain)--send her away to Switzerland to the fertility clinic with Michael

John Brotherton (Jared Banks)--send him away with Nat

Brandon Buddy (Cole Thornhart)--KEEP

Kamar de los Reyes (Antonio Vega)--send him away (see my comment for BethAnn)

Kassie DePaiva (Blair Cramer)--KEEP

Michael Easton (John McBain)--send him away, too much exposure and he's the weakest link in Llanview

Patricia Elliott (Renee Divine)--KEEP

Andrea Evans (Tina Lord Roberts)--reverse her departure to stay in Llanview

Farah Fath (Gigi Morasco)--KEEP

David Fumero (Cristian Vega)--send him away with Sarah

Susan Haskell (Marty Saybrooke)--KEEP

Jacqueline Hendy (Vanessa Montez)--WHO? (see my comment for Camila)

Catherine Hickland (Lindsay Rappaport)--KEEP

Brian Kerwin (Charlie Banks)--KEEP

Ilene Kristen (Roxanne Balsom)--KEEP

John-Paul Lavoisier (Rex Balsom)--KEEP

Mark Lawson (Brody Lovett)--send him away in the looney bin forever, no purpose

Florencia Lozano (Tea Delgado)--KEEP

Patricia Mauceri (Carlotta Vega)--KEEP

Pamela Payton-Wright (Addie Cramer)--KEEP

Sean Ringgold (Shaun)--send him away out Llanview to work for Ms. Whitney Houston

Erika Slezak (Viki Davidson)--KEEP

Hillary B. Smith (Nora Hanen)--KEEP

Chris Stack (Michael McBain)--send him away with Marcie

Timothy D. Stickney (RJ Gannon)--KEEP

Trevor St. John (Todd Manning)--KEEP

Robin Strasser (Dorian Lord)--KEEP

Tika Sumpter (Layla Williamson)--send her away to Paris for her fashion career

Jason Tam (Markko Rivera)--send him away, serves no purpose

Brittany Underwood (Langston Wilde)--KEEP

Jerry verDorn (Clint Buchanan)--KEEP

Austin Williams (Shane Morasco)--KEEP

Bree Williamson (Jessica Buchanan)--KEEP

Robert S. Woods (Bo Buchanan)--KEEP

***However, bring back Renee Goldsberry (Evangeline), Nathan Purdee (Hank), and Dan Gauthier (Kevin) to improve ratings.

"General Hospital"

Bradford Anderson (Damian Spinelli)--send him away to cyberforce world

Brandon Barash (Johnny Zacchara)--send him away to looney bin since his family are all crazy

Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos)--send him away to take over NYC mob scene

Julie Marie Berman (Lesley Lu Spencer)--KEEP

Nazanin Boniadi (Leyla)--send her away to the 15th floor of General Hospital

Sarah Brown (Claudia Zacchara)--send her away as her brother

Steve Burton (Jason Morgan)--KEEP

Leslie Charleson (Monica Quartermaine)--KEEP

Derk Cheetwood (Max Giambetti)--make him a real man to be with Diane

Drew Cheetwood (Milo Giambetti)--send him away, he serves no purpose in Port Charles

Tyler Christopher (Nikolas Cassadine)--KEEP

Claire Coffee (Nadine Crowell)--send her away to Mars

Jason Cook (Matt Hunter)--send him away to Seattle Grace Hospital with the Grey's Anatomy folks

Sonya Eddy (Epiphany Johnson)--KEEP

Jane Elliot (Tracy Quartermaine)--KEEP

Anthony Geary (Luke Spencer)--KEEP

Blake Gibbons (Mitchell Coleman)--WHO?!? write him or her off

Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis)--KEEP

Ron Hale (Mike Corbin)--KEEP

Rick Hearst (Ric Lansing)--KEEP

Carolyn Hennesy (Diane Miller)--KEEP

Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth Spencer)--KEEP

Finola Hughes (Anna Devane)--KEEP

John Ingle (Edward Quartermaine)--KEEP

Kent King (Lainey Winters)--send her away to Seattle Grace with Matt

Lisa LoCicero (Olivia Falconeri)--send her back to Brooklyn or Bronx

Stephen Macht (Trevor Lansing)--KEEP

Kimberly McCullough (Robin Scorpio)--KEEP

Kelly Monaco (Samantha "Sam" McCall)--send her away with John McBain

Minae Noji (Kelly Lee)--send her to the 15th floor with Leyla

Jay Pickett (David Harper)--useless, write him off

Ingo Rademacher (Jasper "Jax" Jacks)--overstayed, overpaid time to leave Port Charles with Kate

Kirsten Storms (Maxie Jones)--KEEP

Jason Thompson (Patrick Drake)--KEEP

Greg Vaughan (Lucky Spencer)--KEEP

Megan Ward (Kate Howard)--send her out of PC with Jax forever

Bruce Weitz (Anthony Zacchara)--send him to the looney with his kids

Bergen Williams (Big Alice Gunderson)--KEEP

Laura Wright (Carly Corinthos Jacks)--KEEP, I can't get rid of her because she's a Spencer

John J. York (Mac Scorpio)--KEEP

Jacklyn Zeman (Bobbie Spencer)--KEEP

***However, bring back Antonio Sabato Jr. (Jagger), Genie Francis (Laura), Kristina Wagner (Felicia), Tristan Rogers (Robert) Sharon Wyatt (Tiffany), and Jim Reilly (Sean) to improve the ratings.

Edited November 26, 200817 yr by Rocket Man

Before panic sets in about possible cuts at ABC Daytime, we asked the network what was really happening. "We are carefully and responsibly managing our costs, which include some production cuts, but in ways the audience will not see on screen. Sweeps to date, all of our soaps are showing ratings growth and we are excited about upcoming storylines on all three shows," a spokesperson for ABC Daytime explains.

http://www.soapoperadigest.com/news/breaking/

According to Daytime Confidential, Agnes Nixon confirmed these budget cuts in a recent interview.

http://www.daytimeconfidential.com/2008/11...ildren-pay-cuts

This just in. All My Children and One Life to Live creator Agnes Nixon has confirmed to Advertising Age that massive pay cuts have indeeed taken place at one of her two ABC soaps!

"All the actors on 'All My Children' have been reduced [in salary]," said creator Agnes Nixon, who also created the ABC soap "One Life to Live" and is now a paid consultant to the network's daytime division. "Susan Lucci, Michael Knight and Ray McDonald have all been reduced -- substantially. And so have I, as a consultant. The ratings are not the same."

In addition to ratings woes, the article cites the pisspoor state of the American automobile industry, a one-time strong advertiser during soap broadcasts, as reason for the economic hardships facing daytime television.

"The affiliate stations are really hurting because the automobile dealers don't advertise [like they used to]," Ms. Nixon said. "It's a ripple-down effect."

Gotta love the spin by ABC Daytime.

The biggest paycut I can think of is firing Frons, aka the network soap killer.........

Wow, NBC and now ABC does that mean CBS will be following? I guess this is something all the major networks will be facing.

I expect the P&G soaps and DAYS to get budget cuts, but the ABC soaps?

I agree with Zendall Fan. Frons needs to be fired or take a damn paycut immediately. He's the issue here.

IMO this just goes to show that the "Kim Zimmer not taking a cut approach" isn't going to work anymore, and that the cuts are going to happen. Lose a little for Drake and D and DAYS if even Susan is taking the pay cut.

Also kind of seems ABC is actually doing some things right with the cuts and everything--no sort of drama involving it.

Yeah imagine how much moola they'd save by firing Frons

I knew something was going down the minute that I read about Susan Lucci was ask to get a paycut or she has to go from reading a tabloid magazine at the supermarket.

I bet RB thinking Thank God I left just in time.

The sad thing is that a lot of those you mentioned are already on recurring so they don't even get paid unless they are used so getting rid of them does nothing for the budget.

And in order to cut costs a lot of the ones you say keep still need to go or take big cuts esp. if you want to bring back some of the names you are bringing back.

I feel AMC could cut Zach, Kendall, Ryan, Annie, Aiden & Greenlee - all 6 and be just fine. They are all 6 played out, overexposed and a nice break from all 6 wouldn't bother me even though right now with the better balance I am enjoying all for the first time in a long time.

Wow, Agnes is very outspoken in this article.

I had a hunch that these salary cuts were happening. Broadcast TV is dying in general, not just in daytime. I just hope they can recover from this.

I liked Ange's straightforward and direct approach in the article. Due to the sorry state of daytime television and all soaps falling in the ratings along with the horrible economic situation. It was inevitable that big pay cuts for the actors and everyone involved with daytime television were going to happen. It actually makes logical business sense and may help keep daytime soaps afloat for a bit longer due to these prudent measures.

So is AMC taking the brunt of this for ABC? Because that's what it sounds like.

Does anyone really think that Frons is going to make Steve Burton, Maurice Benard or Laura Wright to take a paycut? I don't think so.

I hope Agnes was allowed to reveal what she revealed or she can say goodbye to whatever minor influence she still has.