The Writers Guild of America could go on strike as soon as the first of November, according to a recent article in the New York Times. The union, which represents television writers, recently voted to authorize union leaders to strike if their proposals are not taken seriously by studios and networks.
The writers are demanding new terms regarding Internet media writing, as well as a doubling of the current DVD residual payments. So far, the big networks have refused to even entertain the idea of increased compensation to TV writers, but they could be forced into considering these demands if the writers union decides to strike.
Television writers point out that network writing increasingly becomes a global industry, and is used in traditional broadcast formats, as well as in emerging Internet media formats. In other words, professional writers are observing that their work is used in a wider variety of contexts; however their residual rates have largely stayed the same.
In a statement last Friday, Writers Guild spokesperson Patrick Verrone indicated that the union did not wish to strike, but that they were resolved to defend union members interests, and if that included a full walkout, so be it. But if the writers do walk out in November, how would it affect primetime television and what would it mean to most viewers?
A shorter strike would probably be mostly unnoticeable to viewers, with most television shows getting by just fine for a week or two. But if the strike drags on for several months, it is likely that some of the best written shows on television would grind to an immediate halt. Writer-driven shows such as “Lost,” for example, would likely suffer the most.
So-called “reality” shows would fare the best during a strike, as their writers are nonunion. In fact, it seems likely that viewers will see an increase in reality television following any strike by the Writers Guild. For a market already saturated with “reality” shows, this could mean dark days ahead for television viewers. Any extended walkout by the writers would likely produce an increase in both reality television and animated programs, such as The Simpsons or Family Guy.
Game shows are also likely to benefit from any writers strike, and unfortunately, we can also count on seeing a great deal more reruns than we’re currently used to, as writers cease turning out new episodes of hit primetime shows such as “My Name is Earl,” or “Pushing Daisies.”
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[…] As it stands right now, television and film writers do not make enough profit on DVD sales or for media that they wrote and produced that are downloaded via the Internet. Negotiations failed as writers requested double the pay that they receive for these sales and the strike ensued. […]
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