TV writers sue for age discrimination

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) -- Twenty-eight older TV writers, claiming that youth-obsessed Hollywood has blacklisted them because of their age, filed a $200 million federal civil rights lawsuit Monday against the major television networks, talent agencies and entertainment companies.

The lawsuit claims that Hollywood has, since the 1980s, discriminated against people over the age of 40, to the extent that older writers are typically unable to find work, often driven to financial ruin and even mental collapse.

"Since 1995 my career has spiraled into an abyss," writer Tracy Keenan Wynn told reporters at a press conference to announce the lawsuit, adding that he is usually rejected by young TV executives who assume that he can't relate to teens and young adults and thus a poor choice to write for them.

"Was Shakespeare only 15 when he wrote 'Romeo and Juliet?"' asked Wynn, who has won two Emmy awards. "Good, experienced, writers are capable of writing about anything."

Wynn, 55, and other writers said they often tried to hide their true age when seeking work and several were reluctant to disclose their age even at a press conference to announce their age-discrimination lawsuit.

Ann Marcus, a 70-something veteran television writer who helped create the soap opera spoof "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," appeared to take offense when a reporter asked her age, responding that such a question was "not very nice."

Jay Moriarty, whose writing credits include "All in the Family" and "Cheers," then spoke up to remind the reporter that part of the reason for the lawsuit was to help shift society's emphasis away from age.

Disney, Time Warner, others listed as defendants

A woman sitting in the audience who described herself as an actress and writer told the reporter that he should include his own age in a news story about the event.

Even the 81-page lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, does not disclose Marcus' exact age, describing her as "in her 70s."

Representatives for the major television networks could not be reached for comment on the lawsuit, which claims civil rights violations and breach of contract and also names major Hollywood talent agencies.

Among those listed as defendants in the complaint are entertainment giants Walt Disney Co which owns the ABC-TV network, Fox Entertainment Group Inc. Time Warner Inc. Viacom , DreamWorks, and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studios.

Paul Sprenger, the lead lawyer in the case, said he planned to get the lawsuit certified as a class-action and hoped to ultimately represent some 5,000 writers.

"It is not a secret that NBC and others in the TV industry have an open and notorious policy of not allowing older writers on their productions," he said.

"It is not only an accepted practice at the networks and production studios, it is practically mandatory," he added. "Accordingly, the talent agencies won't waste their time on older writers and dump them as soon as they get older."

Sprenger said evidence in the case would include a statement by Brandon Tartikoff, the late president of programming at NBC, that he would not hire any writer over the age of 30.

Time Warner is the parent company of CNN.

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