Talk show "Letterman" to be back after deal with strikers

BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- Worldwide Pants, the production company of "Late Show with David Letterman," announced that the show would return to the air with their writers from next Wednesday, media reported Saturday.

The late-night U.S. talk show hosted by David Letterman had been halted for about two months since the Hollywood writers strike began on Nov. 5 when talks with the alliance over profits from Internet and new media sales broke down.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) had also confirmed the agreement with the Letterman-owned company and said the agreement also covered the program that followed Letterman's long-running show hosted by Scottish comedian Craig Ferguson on CBS television.

"Today¡¦s agreement dramatically illustrates that the Writers Guild wants to put people back to work and that when a company comes to the table prepared to negotiate seriously, a fair and reasonable deal can be reached quickly," read the statement of WGA.

"I am grateful to the WGA for granting us this agreement," Letterman said. "This is not a solution to the strike, which unfortunately continues to disrupt the lives of thousands. But I hope it will be seen as a step in the right direction."

The striking had delivered a damaging blow to the local economy with a reported loss of 350 million U.S. dollars in wages.

(Agencies)

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