ACTORS' UNIONS, PRODUCERS PLAN WEEKEND TALKS.

Byline: Jesse Hiestand Staff Writer

Negotiators for Hollywood's actors and studios plan to meet through the weekend in intensified talks aimed to reach a deal before the current contract expires one week from today.

After six weeks of sporadic meetings to press their demands, the two sides have now turned to the difficult task of compromise.

``As you get closer to the expiration date, things just happen more quickly and in more detail,'' said a source close to the talks being held at the Encino headquarters of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

AMPTP and the unions, SAG and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, signaled their dedication to beating the deadline in a statement issued late Thursday, the first time they have broken a selmposed media blackout.

``The committees will continue to negotiate continuously ... until a successful resolution has been reached, with no breaks in negotiations scheduled at this time, in an effort to meet the June 30 deadline,'' said the statement.

So far the talks have been marked by lengthy breaks and a sustained optimism that a strike can be avoided. Still, few breakthroughs have been made because as the deadline approaches both sides are focused instead on presenting their contract proposals. The actors are said to have about 36 demands, while producers have at least 20 of their own.

SAG officials revealed their comprehensive response to the producers' economic proposals earlier this week. The producers did the same on Thursday.

More detailed updates are planned in coming days to avoid ``inaccurate speculation'' on the talks' progress. No further public comment is being made.

The two sides did not negotiate Friday and have met face-to-face just 14 times since the talks began May 15.

There is no immediate concern that a strike would follow a passing of the deadline or even a breakdown.

SAG and AFTRA must first poll by mail their 135,000 members and get 75 percent approval before going on strike. That process would take at least a month.

Hollywood's attitude is upbeat because similar talks between the AMPTP and union writers ended peacefully in early May with a new contract that gave writers $41 million in increased compensation over the next three years.

With that in mind, children's television writer and producer Tom Lynch said he is confident enough to cast two new shows and begin readying others. Just a few months ago the industry was stockpiling shows and films in anticipation of devastating dual strikes by actors and writers.

``They'll work it out because I think it's in everyone's interest to keep working,'' said Lynch. ``A strike doesn't help anyone now - our industry is already flooded with runaway production and high unemployment because so much material is coming from foreign territories.''