Television Industry Women

TV, or not TV? For Helen Hunt, despite winning a best actress Oscar last week for "As Good as It Gets," it made sense--and more than 2 billion cents, based on her estimated $1-million-per-episode salary--not to give up her day job on the NBC sitcom "Mad About You." For George Clooney, star of "Batman and Robin" and "The Peacemaker," continuing to make the rounds on "ER" no longer seemed a practical use of his time, given the opportunities that beckon.

Seated around a dining room table, the co-hosts discuss the "hot topics" of the day. Meredith Vieira announces that she hugged a tree this morning to celebrate Earth Day. Star Jones, responding to a story about a handyman service for single women, says she wants "a real husband, not a rental." Barbara Walters dishes about the very careful seating arrangements that will be required at a White House correspondents' dinner to be attended by both President Clinton and Paula Jones.

Andrew Lack, president of NBC News, did something last week that a journalist should never do. Lack, 50-year-old leader of the division and the executive most responsible for its stunning ratings renaissance in the '90s, made a blunder totally unbefitting someone of his media savvy and stature. He let himself be quizzed by the press. Uh oh.

The fake rain was pouring, the train was moving down the tracks and a giant crane with a camera perched on top was in position. The crew of the new CBS detective drama "Under Suspicion" was all set to film the climactic cliffhanger for the pilot episode. Actress Karen Sillas was standing in the cold with a jacket and a chill, trying to stay warm until the camera rolled.

Women seem to be having problems getting recognition in the television industry. Black women seem to be having an even tougher time. Don't count playwright Judi Ann Mason among them. She's had more than 50 plays produced and has written for television shows such as "I'll Fly Away," "Beverly Hills 90210," and soaps "Guiding Light" and "A Different World." How'd she do that? "I forgot that I was a woman and that I was black. The persona became writer.