HALT! HOW THE WRITER’S STRIKE MAY AFFECT YOUR FAVORITE SHOWS (Updated)
On Monday morning, the production and future of certain films and your favorite TV shows will be submerged into murky waters.
I am not going to pretend to know exactly why the 12,000 television and film writers that make up the Writers Guild of America are going on strike.
So here is the official statement that was released yesterday by the President of the WGA (West), Patric M. Verrone:
“The Board of Directors of the Writers Guild of America, West and the
Council of the Writers Guild of America, East, acting upon the
authority granted them by the members, have voted unanimously to call a
strike effective 12:01 AM, Monday, November 5.As many of you know, three weeks ago the Members of the Writers
Guild of America voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if we could
not reach a fair and reasonable deal with the Alliance of Motion
Picture and Television Producers.To avoid this outcome, we have been engaged in negotiations for more than three months to resolve our differences.
Over that time, we dropped nine of our proposals in the interest of reaching a resolution.
However, the studios have not responded to a single one of our
important proposals. Every issue that matters to writers, including
Internet reuse, original writing for new media, DVDs, and jurisdiction,
has been ignored.In recent years, these conglomerates have enjoyed tremendous
financial success off the backs of literally tens of thousands of
people – including members of the creative community. One part of that
community is the writers, whose work serves as the blueprint for
programs and movies.And, although the industry’s pie is continually growing, our share continues to shrink.
Rather than address our members’ primary concern, the studios made
it clear that they would rather shut down the town than reach a fair
and reasonable deal. This past Wednesday, the AMPTP called a halt to
talks by demanding that the Guild accept the extension of the current
DVD formula to new media.This is not an action that anyone takes lightly. But it slowly
became apparent that the studios are not prepared to deal fairly with
writers and the rest of the talent community.The companies have refused to agree that writers must receive fair
compensation when the writers’ work is broadcast on the Internet or
downloaded on iPods and cell phones.The companies are seeking to take advantage of new technology to
drastically reduce the residual income that sustains middle class
writers and keeps them in the business. Their proposals would destroy
the very pool of creative talent that is the basis of their immense
revenues and profits.Twenty years ago, the companies forced writers to accept an unfairly
low residual for home videos so that the market could grow. And, even
though those markets did grow to become an extremely profitable revenue
stream, the residuals never did.The fact is there was no need for conflict on this issue – the
companies are doing very well in the marketplace. As the chairman of
one of the Big Six media conglomerates recently stated, the Internet is
a source of additional income. Television and film sales to the
Internet have not to date cannibalized viewers from broadcast and
cable. And the economics of digital distribution are even more
favorable than the economics of DVDs. Digital has no hard media costs,
no boxes, no marginal extra shipping and handling. The only substantial
economic issue for Internet reuse is the residual payment to directors,
actors, and writers.That is why our position is simple and fair: when a writer’s work
generates revenue for the companies, that writer deserves to be paid.For the creative community, for the city of Los Angeles, and for all
viewers who have come to appreciate our work product, we are sorry that
the studios have put us where we are.We are committed to seeing this through and are willing to engage in any further discussions if the studios so desire.”
If you’re like me, you might be thinking about how this strike will affect specific shows. For now, take a look at The TV Grid from the LA Times. Even if production stops on our favorite series’ and new episodes air only until December, they will return at some point once this is resolved. But there are pressing issues beneath the surface of this strike…
After this ends, how will ratings be affected? As it is, many viewers have been very frustrated with the length of time between seasons (the agonizing wait for new episodes of The Sopranos and Lost, for example). Patience and dedication will be put to the test.
In addition, how will those shows on the bubble of renewal (the ones with critical raves yet lower ratings) be affected by the delay? If this strike had occurred last year, my guess is that 30 Rock and Friday Night Lights would not have seen second seasons. Outside of Pushing Daisies and Private Practice, breakout hits among the crop of new shows this year have been few and far between. I think we will see more series cancellations than usual once this is over.
I sided with the writers immediately. And I fully support the idea that they should receive residuals when their work appears in any kind of digital media format. But after skimming through the details of the strike and reading various industry blogs…it is important to recognize that there are other parties whose livelihoods will take a direct hit as a result of this strike.
Above and beyond the writers themselves, this strike will have serious financial ramifications for the families of actors, directors, producers and crews on all of the films and shows that were currently in production. I am not referring to those who have already achieved wealth and fame; I am thinking about the extras, the key grips, the prop builders, the script supervisors, etc. Not everyone in the entertainment industry earns a glamorous living in front of the camera. There are so many people behind the scenes who support every aspect of every single film and television show. And even though many crew positions have their own unions, when production comes to a screeching halt, they are all out a job for an unknown period of time and with no guarantee that their jobs will be there for them after the strike ends.
For up-to-date news about the strike, I recommend Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood Daily. Make sure to read the comments that accompany her strike updates, as many writers and industry insiders are offering their perspectives about the matter.
I obviously do not know the whole story, but I will do my best to keep up with the details and provide you with information about some of the popular shows that I know you love and obsess about, like Lost.
What do you think about this whole thing?