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Neil Portnow noted in a prepared statement that the interim agreement proposed by this particular trophy show's producer offers "the same terms as those arrangements signed by the WGA with David Letterman's company, Worldwide Pants." Letterman's "Late Show," like the Grammy show, airs on CBS.

Worldwide Pants signed an interim deal with the WGA that allows both CBS late-night shows it produces -- Letterman's and the show hosted by Craig Ferguson -- to return to the air with their writers and without pickets. Their shows are the only late-night programs that have returned with the WGA's blessing.

But the Writers Guild had said it was inclined to deny the Grammys a waiver should it receive a request for one -- though it had, at press time, made no announcement since the Grammy-cast production house, John Cossette Productions, formally asked for a waiver.

Portnow also noted that the Grammy telecast employs two WGA members, compared with 250 members of the American Federation of Musicians and 150 members of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

And, at virtually the same time Portnow's people were e-mailing his statement to reporters on Tuesday, both the AFM and AFTRA organizations were e-mailing their statements of support to the Recording Academy and the Grammy-cast. Coincidence?

"In light of the news that the producer of the Grammy Awards has made a firm offer to the WGA, AFM and AFTRA strongly urge all of our members to support the important work of the Recording Academy by participating in the Grammy events," the two labor organizations said in their statement.

To cap things off, Portnow, in his statement, threw in some stuff about how the proceeds from the Grammy Awards show fund a "whole variety of worthwhile programs," including the academy's MusiCares Foundation, "which literally saves lives and offers millions of dollars of aid to music people in need," as well as Grammy Foundation programs "to advance the importance and role of music and the arts in our schools and in society."

Yup, they're doing it for the children.