By Richard Verrier

Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

2:29 PM PST, December 5, 2007

Seeking to shore up its flagging public image, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has turned to veteran political advisors from both sides of the aisle to guide its public relations battle with Hollywood's striking writers.

The alliance announced today that it had retained Mark Fabiani and Chris Lehane, who have served as senior aides and advisors to President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore and other Democrats across the country. The group also said it hired Steve Schmidt, a close advisor to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who served as his campaign manager in 2006.

The advisors will take over the role of Barbara Brogliatti, who has been guiding the group's public relations strategy for much of the last 25 years. The former Warner Bros. executive recently stepped down from her day-to-day role, though she will remain as senior advisor to the group, which has been locked in contentious contract negotiations with writers over pay for new media.

The move reflects a concerted push by the alliance to take a more aggressive approach in its public relations after polls conducted by Pepperdine University, Fox News and SurveyUSA showed widespread public support for the writers, now in their fifth week of a strike.

Negotiators for writers and studios returned to the bargaining table today in their sixth session since talks resumed last week, but they remain far apart on how much writers should be paid for work distributed via the Internet.

Since the strike began, the Writers Guild of America has mounted a highly effective PR campaign against the major studios and the media conglomerates that own them. Though the guild has tapped some media consultants, it has largely managed its public relations in-house, harnessing the writing talents of members to promote its cause.

Fabiani and Lehane, who are based in La Jolla, Calif., and San Francisco, respectively, have a long history in Democratic politics. Fabiani was former deputy mayor to Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley. The men also have worked on behalf of various studios and professional sports teams and leagues, including the National Hockey League.

Schmidt, of Mercury Public Affairs in Sacramento, also has worked with several Hollywood studios and sports teams. He served in high-ranking posts with the Bush White House, including serving as the lead strategist on the confirmations of John G. Roberts Jr. and Samuel A. Alito Jr. to the Supreme Court.