Massive, Across the Board Paycuts at ABC Daytime?!

[EricMontreal22]

Do AMC was budgeted down but not OLTL? Or was Agnes just not invovled at OLTL and so didn't speak for it?

And since when has Agnes been a paid consultant? that's good news, but something I wasn't aware of (the gossip has always been that no one's quite sure exactly WHAT her role at the soaps still is)

I appreciate all those actors--Susan Lucci especially taking the pay reduction though and seemingly understanding where it comes cfrom and not raising diva issues.

[EricMontreal22]

Well from the other post it sounds like the reduction in salary for Lucci and crew may help and maybe no one willa ctually have to be let go.

[Adam]

The way the except is structured she seemed to only know what AMC's situation was and not the other shows. People talk about ABC spinning things.

Sounds like everyone was a team player about that, which is good. Hopefully no one will have to lose their job then. I am sure Rebecca Budig's salary off the books will be helpful then too.

[marceline]

Frons' tendency to reward his faves at the expense of the shows helped bring the network to this point so there definitely needs to be some changes made in management. But in the end, I think that unless they're willing to take other drastic steps, - go to three days a week, online streaming, etc.. - they're just putting off the inevitable.

[Adam]

The only thing that will delay the supposed inevitable for ABC is the fact that they own the rights to their own shows.

[nell17]

This also explains why this was the last Super Soap Weekend. It looks like the event won't be back after all.

[DaytimeFan]

My take, as a Disney shareholder, is that ABC Daytime is taking a calm approach. An overall cut across the board gets rid of the diva BS. I actually think that Benard, Burton and Wright have taken pay cuts as well. They may be Frons' pets but a buck is a buck and he is keenly aware that he's being watched by his superiors.

[Jonathan]

It's a sad day in soaps when daytime's biggest star has to take a pay cut. I don't think though La Lucci is hurting for money. She does have other streams of income like her clothing line on HSN and Youthful Essence. Plus, I read an article recently that she's in talks with some investors to develop a line of furniture, similar to what Kathy Ireland has done. She's been very smart over the last 20 years or so to get involved in other business ventures.

And we don't know what her salary was to begin with, it's just speculation. Maybe she went from $6 million to $5 million? Her pocket books won't be feeling the loss, I'm guessing.

Nonetheless, it's still scary to come to the realization that no one is immune to these sagging ratings and tough economic times.

[Adam]

I had actually heard Lucci only was making roughly a million per year.....

So my guess is she is under that now.

[Jonathan]

My guess is that she was earning more than a $1 million. I first read she was earning 7 figures back in the late 1980s early 1990s. So my guess is that with pay increases over the last few years she was earning somewhere between $1-$10 million. But again, it's all speculation.

[DaytimeFan]

Lucci's salary, the highest in the business, never went past 2 million a year, I expect that if she was making 2 million, she's now making 1 and if she was making 1 she's now making 750k.

But she's in another league. She's RICH thanks to years of toiling way selling whatever wasn't nailed to the floor at QVC and now HSN. Plus her 'Youthful Essence' system, which has sold over 6 million units.

[NYC123]

I am glad that ABC is handling this calmly.

[Jonathan]

Like I said in the other thread, I'm happy just for my own selfish reasons that they've agree to this pay cut. I don't want All My Children to disappear off the airwaves.

However, it sucks to have to take a pay cut and I hope these performers don't become bitter about coming to work. I hope they know we appreciate them and love being entertained.

Moderators, can we combine these 3 threads. I feel like I'm repeating myself.

[dawn9476]

It's not surprising. With how bad ABC's ratings have been, it was only a matter of time that they would have to do a GL style across the board paycut.

[alphanguy74]

Also... does any of the ABC soaps have any populartity in foreign countries? I know Y&R and B&B especially, rake in quite a bit from foreign broadcasts... B&B airs in primetime in some places. Are any of the ABC soaps sold to Canada? If not, then that's the problem with their revenue streams.