Yet Another Strike Update: This Time Not So Encouraging
TVGuide.com just published this short statement about the writers’ strike status.
Although statements circulated by producers and writers yesterday reveal that only $20 million separates their contract proposals, we still may be no closer to seeing this strike resolved. How can that be? The issue isn’t the $20 million — producers drop that over lunch — it’s how to assess compensation for ever-changing digital platforms. In any case, talks, such as they are, will resume today. — Ben Katner
If you don’t know what the writers are striking about, here’s a rough description of the issue. Right now, all the actors, producers, and everyone else under the sun gets paid every time a show’s episode gets watched online (because of the revenues from those ads we see during the video) - except for the writers. I’m also pretty sure taht they don’t get compensated the same way the rest do for electronic media such as DVDs. But I say, there wouldn’t be any episodes to show at all if the writers hadn’t written them. They deserve the same sort of compensation for their work as everyone else. Let me tell you as a person who has made a living writing for ** years, writing is not something that just anyone can do with the same flair those writers can. They deserve what they are asking for.
I know that it’s easy to get upset because we don’t get to see new episodes of our favorite shows for a while, but we have to think about the talented people who create them for us. We can be patient while the “powers that be” get the message that writing is valuable to them and should be rewarded just like every other talent involved in show creation.
That’s my two cents. What do you have to say about the strike? Leave a comment to share your thoughts!
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4 opinions for Yet Another Strike Update: This Time Not So Encouraging
Sally
Dec 4, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Just get it over with already. Sheesh. You’d think they were negotiating a peace treaty!
michael
Dec 5, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Seriously, this isn’t hard: everyone else gets X for this this this and that except the writers they don’t get that, they want that or nobody gets anything well everyone else gets that so here ya go! DONE NOT HARD! Ugh, take Bush out of politics and put him into production then maybe instead of ignoring the UN he can ignore whoever doesn’t want to pay the writers and get us back to watching House and choking on pretzels
Grace
Dec 6, 2007 at 1:07 am
I agree with the writer’s BUT I have to add that I am not qualified to have an opinion since I have no idea what the terms are etc.
WritersAreGreedy
Dec 12, 2007 at 12:04 pm
“Grace,” you might like watching “House” but you’ve learned nothing from it. How can you agree with a position when you admit you know nothing about it??
Right now, we’re not watching new episodes of House (or any other TV show) because the writers are being greedy; simple as that. When the studio told them they would pay them more per episode, they suddenly changed the terms and tacked on additional conditions (trying to include animations and other types of shows) that weren’t part of the negotiations. They, then, walked away saying the studios wouldn’t bend to their will.
On top of that, writers want to be paid before the studios break even on whatever they wrote — so if something turned out to be a dud (like most of the stuff that are being out out right now), they’re still paid regardless of whether the studio makes money or not. I’d say if the writers want to operate that way, then they shouldn’t get residuals but they can’t (and shouldn’t expect to) have it both ways.
I don’t represent the studios nor am I a writer, I’m but a lowly TV watcher who just happens to follow the developments in the news. I’m tired of watching reruns because, apparently, the only thing they’re willing to write these days is the story about the “poor pitiful writers”…
Do you know that what the writers are doing is hurting everyone else. Non-writing staff are being laid off before the holidays because they have no work to do. Tell me again how these people are not being selfish?!?!
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