Greetings

Dear Friends,
I know it continues to be a very difficult time for Guiding Light fans, especially with the rumors and speculation that is out there.

I now that the departure of Crystal Chappell may have shocked a few of you, but the good news is that she will remain with GL until the end of its CBS run on September 18. I know others are upset to hear that Gina Tognoni will not be around as GL wraps in early August. Gina's contract was set to expire this week, and speculation is that she could not reach an agreement with GL. It is also believed that she may have indeed signed with another NY based soap. While many fans feel she "owed them" to remain, and that the show needed to meet any demands that may have been made for the remaining six weeks of filming, I think it is important for fans to realize contracts aren't that simple due to agreements between the shows and NAFTRA (the actors union to which most daytime actors belong). Non-contract players must be paid a minimum of $400 per episode according to one source. Keeping that in mind, the way GL now tapes, an actor could work several days taping for ONE episode. That being said, these people need to begin to look at what the future holds for them. They have been in a holding pattern since April 1st, and many of them have been searching for a place to land, and you can't blame anyone for taking a secure deal, when GL cannot offer that at this point.

Even if GL were picked up, sources are saying that it would take at least six months to begin production. That is a long to sit idle as an actor.

Some of you may have also read the very disheartening article insinuating that Proctor & Gamble wanted to get rid of GL, and sabotaged it on purpose. Please remember, that is the writers OPINION, and there are no facts to back it up. This is all on the heals of the revealing of Phillip Spaulding's illness, and many fans are already bitching about it because they beleive they will kill Phillip off before the series finale, yet none of us know for sure what the scribes will actually do at this point. It could in fact be great story if people are willing to watch it play out before going off the deep end.

What I am about to say my offend some of you, but so be it. A large part of GL's problems do not stem from the production changes and shakey camera work. They aren't all Ellen Wheeler's fault. It isn't the Otalia storyline. No a large part of the woes GL has had stem from the fickle fans who want what they want and to hell with everyone else. These so-called fans have done nothing but bash, belittle and condemn everything and anything about the show for years now. They are eager to leak information from "insiders" even if the information is flat out misinformation. They seek to stir the pot and create drama behind the drama and all of it is detrimental to the show. I laugh when I read board posters shouting that PGP needs to listen to the fans as if they have all of the answers and know what they are talking about.

It has been my contention for a long while now that the amount of spoilers that find their way out has played a role in the decline in viewership for all daytime serials. The suspense is gone. Throw in the archaic Nielsen system and the entire industry is in trouble.

I don't know how other fans treat other soaps because I have yet to venture to see what they are saying, but if they are like a large number of the GL fans...it won't be long before the next shoe falls. Negativity does no one any good, and that's what you see out on the net, way too often.