Moonves would have paid $25 million for Globes

A sidelight to the trial over the broadcast rights to the Golden Globes has been how much the kudocast is worth, and one figure the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. hopes to shed light on that is Les Moonves. More details of a 2010 meeting that Moonves had with then-HFPA president Philip Berk were revealed in court documents. Moonves, who will not have to testify in person, nevertheless said in a deposition that he was "prepared to pay" $25 million per year for the rights. "The only thing we talked about was the length of the deal," Moonves said. "And I believe it was a five-year deal; it's my recollection. And as I said, it was an opening offer. And anyone who does these negotiations knows there's more room than that when you put it out. You know, and it wasn't even an official offer, and I didn't, you know -- once again, I did not know the relationship between Dick Clark and Hollywood Foreign Press. When he asked me for a number, I actually thought we had an opportunity to truly be in the bidding." In fact, Dick Clark Prods. was negotiating a new deal with NBC, one that ultimately came to about $21.5 million over seven years, running through 2018. The DCP deal with the Peacock network was the trigger that led to the HFPA's suit against its longtime producer. The HFPA claims that DCP secured the NBC deal without its consent, and has suggested that it prevented it from getting better terms elsewhere. The case actually doesn't center on the rights fees, but the interpretation of a 1993 amendment to a previous agreement between the HFPA and DCP. Dick Clark Prods. claims an "extensions" clause in the 1993 pact gives it the rights to produce the show as long as it secures a deal with NBC. The HFPA, however, claims that that was not the intent of the contract at the time or since. At the trial itself, longtime HFPA member Lorenzo Soria testified that at a membership meeting, in which Clark and his lieutenant Francis LaMaina addressed the membership about new deal with NBC, the terms were discussed as lasting "10 years maximum. That was the way it was presented to us." Soria went on to serve terms as an HFPA board member, and stints as president and chairman. One argument that the HFPA has been expected to raise it that its president in 1993, Mirjana Van Blaricom, did not have authority to sign the agreement with DCP because its details were not outlined to members. Van Blaricom has steadfastly denied it. At the time, Soria had been critical of Van Blaricom. But Bradley Phillips, an attorney for DCP, attempted to show that if Soria had questions about Van Blaricom's role, he didn't raise objections to her signing a contract with DCP. He asked Soria whether he requested to see a copy of the proposed contract with Dick Clark Prods. Soria said he did not. Contact Ted Johnson at ted.johnson@variety.com