Glamour in the Afternoon on a Budget

The networks are cutting back on costs everywhere, particularly the news divi sions. Somehow the soaps’ summertime high-jinks have generally been spared the corporate ax.

“We have a set budget, so it doesn’t affect what we do day to day, week to week,” said Al Rabin, supervising executive producer of “Days of Our Lives.” “But the scope of things, our enhancement dollars, have been cut down.”

Thus, the planned wedding of Jack and Jennifer, which may or may not actually take place, will be taped locally. “We would have preferred a foreign country,” Rabin says with a chuckle. “My wife likes Switzerland.”

Adds “General Hospital” executive producer Gloria Monty: “I’d be foolish if I weren’t aware of costs--I find that before I say ‘yes’ to anything, I have to say, ‘How much?’ But fortunately, I have a magnificent production designer, art director and set dresser who know how to do things economically. So we’re under-budget as far as sets are concerned.”

Cutbacks at NBC indirectly have influenced “Santa Barbara,” said creators-head writers-creative production executives Bridget and Jerome Dobson, noting changes in camera staff and technical directors. And, said Jerome Dobson, “(Because of cutbacks,) Standards and Practices have less people, so we’ve gotten in a few more (uses of the word) ‘bastards!’ ”