Hollywood writers once again walked picket lines on Tuesday as a
strike that could have a devastating economic impact went into its
second day.
The strike, still in its infancy, resulted in the sudden
suspension of special deals that studios extend to star
writers.
Fox and CBS began notifying some of their top talent that they
would stop paying for staff and development, a tactic other studios
were considering.
The strike also confronted many in the television with a
dilemma. Such is the case with so-called show runners, who serve as
both writers and executive producers.
As members of the Writers Guild of American (WGA), they are
obligated to stop writing while as producers, they must ensure the
survival of their shows.
While the strike had an immediate impact on late-night
television, TV dramas and comedies are likely to continue airing as
scheduled for weeks and months to come because their scripts are
written in advance.
No immediate impact on movies is expected because these often
sit on the shelf, sometimes for years, before they reach
theaters.
But even if the initial impact is limited, it could prove
devastating in the long term -- for middle-rank writers, for
businesses that serve production facilities, and for the
entertainment industry.
The last WGA strike in 1988 lasted 22 weeks and cost the
industry an estimated 500 million dollars. Los Angeles Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa said a long strike this time around could cost
1 billion dollars.
Several issues stand between the 12,000-member WGA and the
producers. The most contentious involves supplemental payments,
known as residuals, for TV series and movies shown on computers and
other new media, including cell phones.
(CRI.cn November 7, 2007)