UPDATED: I’m told the 50 members of the HFPA were asked to be on a Zoom. It lasted four minutes. A message was read to them, but no person’s face was seen and they didn’t know who it was who spoke to them.
EARLIER
When PenskeBoehlyetc Media bought the Golden Globes, they offered annual salaries of $75,000 to 50 members of the former Hollywood Press Association. It was a five year deal from 2023-2028.
Today, the 50 members were told the deal is over. They’re being offered severance pay of $102,500. They can stay on as voters until 2026.
Whoops! The HFPA members were the base members and voters, culled from the 90 or so members that formed their group. Penske, et al added around 200 or more members who were not salary.
The plan was ridiculous on its face. The HFPA was already accused of all kinds of financial malfeasance. The original members were part of the biggest swag deal in the world, going on free trips everywhere. Penske et all — which owns Variety, the Hollywood Reporter, Deadline,com, Rolling Stone, Billboard and WWD, not to mention the Globes and Dick Clark Productions — thought that by putting money in their pockets the need for graft would be over.
So the party is really over. The 50 members must be furious. Stay tuned…
