Corndad
02-22-2007, 11:40 AM
From prowrestling.com
Next month's scheduled Saturday Night's Main Event special has been pulled. It was originally scheduled for a late night timeslot on 3/10 due to low ratings for last year's primetime SNME specials. However, they have since decided not to run the show in Saturday Night Live's timeslot, partially because of the belief that they would have to give up ad revenue previously sold for SNL due to a potential drop in ratings.
A future Saturday Night's Main Event special will likely take place in the future, but not until June at the very least. Sources are saying that NBC requested that WWE postpone the SNME special until this June due to the potential Writer's Guild strike in Hollywood. The Writer's Guild's contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers expires in several months with the the sides not expected to begin negotiations for a new deal until May. If a deal can't be reached, a strike may occur and production for several television series, NBC (and other networks), will have to shut down. In case a strike happens, NBC wants to have backup programming that wouldn't require members of the Guild, and thus SNME has been rescheduled for June.
WWE, or Vince McMahon if you will, is reportedly not happy with the news as you can imagine, since WWE was looking to use the special to promote WrestleMania 23. They did eventually agree to postponing the SNME special until June.
SNME was going to be taped after the 3/5 RAW taping on the USA Network. The US Air Arena in Phoenix has dropped all references to SNME in advertising for the event. WWE will just go about their regular schedule that day with RAW & HEAT tapings.
Can't say I'm suprised but this definately is a shot to the WWE for the hype of Mania.
Next month's scheduled Saturday Night's Main Event special has been pulled. It was originally scheduled for a late night timeslot on 3/10 due to low ratings for last year's primetime SNME specials. However, they have since decided not to run the show in Saturday Night Live's timeslot, partially because of the belief that they would have to give up ad revenue previously sold for SNL due to a potential drop in ratings.
A future Saturday Night's Main Event special will likely take place in the future, but not until June at the very least. Sources are saying that NBC requested that WWE postpone the SNME special until this June due to the potential Writer's Guild strike in Hollywood. The Writer's Guild's contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers expires in several months with the the sides not expected to begin negotiations for a new deal until May. If a deal can't be reached, a strike may occur and production for several television series, NBC (and other networks), will have to shut down. In case a strike happens, NBC wants to have backup programming that wouldn't require members of the Guild, and thus SNME has been rescheduled for June.
WWE, or Vince McMahon if you will, is reportedly not happy with the news as you can imagine, since WWE was looking to use the special to promote WrestleMania 23. They did eventually agree to postponing the SNME special until June.
SNME was going to be taped after the 3/5 RAW taping on the USA Network. The US Air Arena in Phoenix has dropped all references to SNME in advertising for the event. WWE will just go about their regular schedule that day with RAW & HEAT tapings.
Can't say I'm suprised but this definately is a shot to the WWE for the hype of Mania.