TV bosses insist the firing of two CSI: Crime Scene Investigation stars in a salary dispute was fair and acts as a warning to other greedy actors.

Cast members Jorja Fox and Gearge Eads, who play investigators Sara Sidle and Nick Stokes on the hit CBS crime drama, were ditched from the show last week when they failed to report for work on the next series.

CBS chief Leslie Moonves says, "There comes a point where we feel a contract is a contract. We all have to look out for the future of the network television business."

According to reports, Fox and Eads were demanding a raise in their $100,000-per-episode pay.

Moonves confirmed production has been forced to stop while script and cast changes are made to the hit show.