It’s been exactly one week since Writers Guild of America members hit the picket lines and it doesn’t look like they will be leaving anytime soon.
But, as the numbers of celebrities joining the strike’s front lines grows, producers (the other half of the warring factions) displayed some defensive moves by taking out full-page ads in today’s trade papers to state their case.
Ads with the headline “Setting the Record Straight,” which appeared in “Variety” and “The Hollywood Reporter,” emphasized that writers already get paid when TV episodes and films are downloaded from Internet stores such as Apple iTunes. What’s more, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers also stated that writers get a fee, or “residual,” when episodes or films are rented online.
Hollywood writers, meanwhile, maintain that a fair residual formula does not exist and added that writers do not get paid when TV shows are streamed for free on advertising-supported network sites such as ABC.com or Hulu.com. But, according to the new ads paid for by producers, a proposal to pay writers for that streaming was on the table when talks broke off last week.
The new ads don’t seem to have made the slightest bit of difference to picketers. In fact, according to news report, members of the union’s East Coast branch are expected to stage a massive protest on Wall Street tomorrow. And another bit of news that made my eyebrows arch was the revelation that both branches of the Writers Guild of America sent a letter of support today to striking Broadway stagehands.
“Just as you have stood with us in our current strike against the motion picture and television studios and networks, so, too, do we stand with you as you seek the fair and respectful contract that you have earned and deserve,” the letter states.
Meanwhile, about 500 unionized news writers could soon join their colleagues on the picket line. Writers for CBS News television and radio (who are represented by the Writers Guild of America East) are expected to overwhelmingly approve a strike authorization by the end of the week.
Related Articles:
Writers Strike Day 6–Let the Firings Begin
Writers Strike Update: So Long to “The Office” and “24”
Writers’ Strike Hits “Desperate Housewives”
How A Writers’ Strike Could Affect Your Favorite TV Shows