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Writers Strike News Roundup: Mon., Nov. 26

Nov 26, 2007  •  Post A Comment

Writers, Producers Return to Bargaining
The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers are returning to the bargaining table today after three weeks with no contract movement, Daily Variety says.
Instituting a media blackout, both sides are mum about the talks, which has delighted some media insiders who feel the two sides need to stop the trash-talking and get down to work, the paper reports.
The talks are occurring at an undisclosed hotel location with the studio and networks CEOs not in attendance, the newspaper says.
However, the Los Angeles Times cautions against expecting a quick resolution, saying it could take several days, if not weeks, to craft a deal, given the complexity of the issues and the mistrust that has characterized previous bargaining sessions. The paper says the sides remain far apart on the issues.
Survey: WGA Winning Media War, But Maybe Not Strike
More than two-thirds of 1,000 Variety readers polled about the strike felt the Writers Guild of America was doing a better job of pleading its case and was being more honest than the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, Daily Variety reports.
Respondents thought the AMPTP would fare better at the bargaining table, with 44% of those surveyed saying the strike would be settled in favor of the companies. About 37% said the outcome would be mostly fair, and only 20% thought the writers would come out ahead, the paper says.
NBC Dips Into ‘Leno’ Archive
NBC will run archival episodes of “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” this week as the writers strike drags into its fourth week, the Hollywood Reporter reports.
This week’s episodes will feature the first appearance of current headline stars on the show, including a 1992 Tom Hanks appearance and a 2000 segment with Matt Damon, the paper says.
WGAE Plans Solidarity Rally Tuesday
The Writers Guild of America, East, is running a solidarity rally with its members joined by those from the WGA West, the Screen Actors Guild, the Service Employees International Union, labor union UNITE-HERE, the United Federation of Teachers and national and local Teamsters, Deadline Daily Hollywood reports.
The rally will occur at New York City’s Washington Square Park, the blog reports.
Also, an International Day of Solidarity has been planned for Wednesday that will include members of the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds, the blog says.
Andrew Krukowski

11 Comments

  1. The writers that are striking now don’t deserve the money they are already getting! The longer the strike last the less they should get! What is coming out for movies as well as TV, stinks for writing! Why pay more? So more garbage can come out! Writers deserve to lose on this one! Big Time!!

  2. Carl,
    Sorry, sir, but you are a moron. Dumbass executives order and buy crap.
    There are many well written series and films out all the time. They stick around, get renewed and resold.
    Without creators, there is no entertainment business.
    Good writers are worth their weight in GOLD. Every dumbass, egocentric executive knows that. Bad writers get found out and are then thrown out.
    Pay the writers for every re-sale, no matter the format.
    Stop the greed-o-take-it-all profiteering corporations from thinking they “own” creative property. They don’t, they’re leasing the use of it, period.

  3. And you, Peter Bright, fail to live up to your last name which makes you an even bigger moron. I suppose the plethora of great writing in Hollywood is the reason why ratings for scripted tv have dropped to an all-time low. Thirty-five percent of the program being watched by people is reality tv because writers SUCK at creating anything of interest and validity to its audience and the producers continue to pay you losers to write crap (which fosters a welfare mentality from the 95% of you who CAN’T write but continue to get paid for it and live, for years, off of residuals). If you are all so damn creative, then come up with a business model for creating ORIGINAL content online that will work for EVERYONE.

  4. First off ChuckT and Carl, you guys are the real morons. The reason for the plethora of crap that makes the airwaves is because of the poor taste in entertainment that people are watching.
    There have been dozens of shows that were great shows, given all of about 3 weeks, put up against a powerhouse show, don’t get the audience and then cancelled.
    That’s why you have garbage on TV. Some of the best TV right now and most well written television is on series like ‘Nip/Tuck’, ‘The Shield’, ‘Rescue Me’ and others.
    Take a look at the CSI series and the Law & Order series, why do we need 6 different versions of the same show, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE WATCHING THEM ALL.

  5. If nothing else, we should all agree that Carl and Chuck T can’t write, while Peter Bright and Scooter McGruder certainly can.
    Personally, I suspect that the AMPTT is scared of 2008’s coming rounds with SAG and the Directors, so if their inventory holds up, AMPTT may decide that the Writers’ pockets are shallow enough not to settle this first round until June!

  6. If nothing else, we should all agree that Carl and Chuck T can’t write, while Peter Bright and Scooter McGruder certainly can.
    Personally, I suspect that the AMPTT is scared of 2008’s coming rounds with SAG and the Directors, so if their inventory holds up, AMPTT may decide that the Writers’ pockets are shallow enough not to settle this first round until June!

  7. I think that, writers should be paid more, it is only fair since the producers are making so much money off of them, they can spare a couple hundreds and give them their raise. Besides, that’s exactly what the air-wave needs, more crappy entertainment provided by some Joe schmo who couldn’t act if his life depended on it. America needs just that, more scripted TV and until the the producers stop being money hungry whores, the business will suffer. And we aren’t just looking at a few actors who can afford loosing money, we are looking at all the aspects of the scripted entertainment industry, hair, make up, lights, camera, directors, producers, and actors who can’t afford to loose money in very competitive business.

  8. I think that, writers should be paid more, it is only fair since the producers are making so much money off of them, they can spare a couple hundreds and give them their raise. Besides, that’s exactly what the air-wave needs, more crappy entertainment provided by some Joe schmo who couldn’t act if his life depended on it. America needs just that, more scripted TV and until the the producers stop being money hungry whores, the business will suffer. And we aren’t just looking at a few actors who can afford loosing money, we are looking at all the aspects of the scripted entertainment industry, hair, make up, lights, camera, directors, producers, and actors who can’t afford to loose money in very competitive business.

  9. The writers are right. Streams of shows are being “publicized” online and advertisements are there just to pay off the fees for keeping it online, with no profit. That’s bullshit. The big business people are profitting off of these people and writers are left with crap on multiple mainstreams. There is obviously a huge gap in pay that is construed. However, if the writer’s win, then all of the unions will eventually get the hint and we’ll see stagehands and others will try to get their money. Good thing they’re easily replacable. Writers are a dime a dozen but they are more influential and more important.
    Nevermind, I’m a moron.

  10. Writers should not be paid more. They should be more agressive when coming to the job from day one. Learn self worth in what you produce. Not dream things up as you go. Because, your boss is making money off you. I am a nurse. So should I sit there and say. Hey, the hospital is making a lot of money in this OR. I want more money. Or When I do charity work and they get business from us being in public. I want more money. I feel I have a well respected job. Get a good wage to pay for things I need. Benefits. All is good. It is about how much more can I get. Writers will never get the wage the actors do. Get over it. And they will not get what the producers get. Live within your means. Deal with it.

  11. You know what people forget is that when the writer’s strike happend, many people either loss their jobs or had their hours cuts because these jobs are support jobs in the industry. Jobs like makeup, costumes, equipment rental, etc. All these industries have been affected by the strike and as one of these members, I highly urge the writer’s to end the strike. If the public knew how many more people are affected negatively because of the strike, I don’t think they would support it. Sure, all the stars come out to support it, but look what happend to the late night shows. They are all comming back with or without writers so get up your ass end this thing.

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