The strike will not be televised
April 7, 2017 8:12 AM Subscribe
WGA East’s Council Asks Members To Authorize Strike. Almost one decade after the strike that paralyzed the TV industry, the writers are preparing to march again if no deal is reached before the Mayday deadline.
The last time WGA asked it's members to strike, it resulted on the 100-day long 2007-2008 strike (previouslies) which affected most of the fall schedule between shortened seasons, postponed episodes and cancellations.
While residuals from DVD sales/rentals and internet streaming revenue was at the top of concerns at the 2007 strike, this strike is led by health care funding problems and radical changes on how TV writers see their product consumed - along a 23% drop in TV writer pay.
At a time late night talk shows are seeing an increase in ratings thanks to the current political climate (status: crapnado), these shows would be the first to suffer if there's not a new deal or progress by the deadline, as they rarely have new episodes ready to air in case of a walk-out, and the WGA has made advertisers aware of the situation. Depending on the length of the strike, it could also affect the start of the fall season.
More on Variety and Deadline
The last time WGA asked it's members to strike, it resulted on the 100-day long 2007-2008 strike (previouslies) which affected most of the fall schedule between shortened seasons, postponed episodes and cancellations.
While residuals from DVD sales/rentals and internet streaming revenue was at the top of concerns at the 2007 strike, this strike is led by health care funding problems and radical changes on how TV writers see their product consumed - along a 23% drop in TV writer pay.
At a time late night talk shows are seeing an increase in ratings thanks to the current political climate (status: crapnado), these shows would be the first to suffer if there's not a new deal or progress by the deadline, as they rarely have new episodes ready to air in case of a walk-out, and the WGA has made advertisers aware of the situation. Depending on the length of the strike, it could also affect the start of the fall season.
More on Variety and Deadline
If you're close to a writers march, do show up, they have the best signs.
posted by sammyo at 8:25 AM on April 7, 2017 [23 favorites]
posted by sammyo at 8:25 AM on April 7, 2017 [23 favorites]
I mean, show up for solidarity, not just for the entertainment value...
posted by sammyo at 8:30 AM on April 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by sammyo at 8:30 AM on April 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
Do the new media platforms like Netflix or Amazon treat their writers better than the traditional TV studios?
posted by Sangermaine at 8:43 AM on April 7, 2017
posted by Sangermaine at 8:43 AM on April 7, 2017
So, many website writers like those at the former Gawker sites have been either unionizing under WGAE or considering it: will this also mean a strike for sites like Gizmodo? Curious to see how this plays out.
posted by selfnoise at 9:02 AM on April 7, 2017
posted by selfnoise at 9:02 AM on April 7, 2017
An unfortunate side effect of the previous writers' strike was an explosion of reality shows. But as far as I'm concerned TV is still mostly a wasteland anyway, so they might as well do it again.
posted by Foosnark at 9:13 AM on April 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Foosnark at 9:13 AM on April 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
Do the new media platforms like Netflix or Amazon treat their writers better than the traditional TV studios?
A ha ahahaha ahahahahahahahahaha
No.
posted by The Whelk at 9:18 AM on April 7, 2017 [17 favorites]
A ha ahahaha ahahahahahahahahaha
No.
posted by The Whelk at 9:18 AM on April 7, 2017 [17 favorites]
It's not just the former Gawker properties. In the last few months, Salon, Vice, and Thrillist, along with the revived MTV News all unionized under WGAE. Glenn Greenwald's site, The Intercept, just announced that it would unionize literally yesterday.
Online publications now make up more than 12% of WGAE membership (a figure that doesn't yet reflect the addition of The Interncept staff). A strike could be a blow to not just entertainment, but a lot of #content coming out of New York.
posted by Spiced Out Calvin Coolidge at 9:20 AM on April 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
Online publications now make up more than 12% of WGAE membership (a figure that doesn't yet reflect the addition of The Interncept staff). A strike could be a blow to not just entertainment, but a lot of #content coming out of New York.
posted by Spiced Out Calvin Coolidge at 9:20 AM on April 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
Right but if the dispute is with the TV producers do the non TV writers strike? I am clueless on this.
posted by selfnoise at 9:46 AM on April 7, 2017
posted by selfnoise at 9:46 AM on April 7, 2017
Do the new media platforms like Netflix or Amazon treat their writers better than the traditional TV studios?
They likely treat creators with more stability and less strings attached (as in, you have $ for x episodes, we'll see the metrics then talk of a new season instead of the "well, you see..." of network where creators aren't even sure they'll reach mid-season, let alone the finale and know if they should make it season or series).
Writers are working for the same studios that do network - The Get Down is a Sony Pictures production, Stranger Things is 21 Laps, Kimmy Schmidt and Master of None are 3 Arts/Universal and OITNB is Lionsgate, just to name a few. There are some in-house stuff productions, but most of their original content comes from the same sources as network shows.
posted by lmfsilva at 9:50 AM on April 7, 2017 [4 favorites]
They likely treat creators with more stability and less strings attached (as in, you have $ for x episodes, we'll see the metrics then talk of a new season instead of the "well, you see..." of network where creators aren't even sure they'll reach mid-season, let alone the finale and know if they should make it season or series).
Writers are working for the same studios that do network - The Get Down is a Sony Pictures production, Stranger Things is 21 Laps, Kimmy Schmidt and Master of None are 3 Arts/Universal and OITNB is Lionsgate, just to name a few. There are some in-house stuff productions, but most of their original content comes from the same sources as network shows.
posted by lmfsilva at 9:50 AM on April 7, 2017 [4 favorites]
An unfortunate side effect of the previous writers' strike was an explosion of reality shows.
So what you're saying is we can blame the striking writers for Trump's presidency?
This has actually been a sort-of on-going joke for me, but at the same time, without the rise of reality TV, Trump wouldn't have gained the popularity he had going into the primaries. So....
posted by cjorgensen at 10:19 AM on April 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
So what you're saying is we can blame the striking writers for Trump's presidency?
This has actually been a sort-of on-going joke for me, but at the same time, without the rise of reality TV, Trump wouldn't have gained the popularity he had going into the primaries. So....
posted by cjorgensen at 10:19 AM on April 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
Right but if the dispute is with the TV producers do the non TV writers strike? I am clueless on this.
Non-writer TV guy here. Yes, we would strike in solidarity with our writers, as entertainment is one of the most heavily unionized industries in the US. The last go-round the talent kept us all paid for the entirety of the strike, I'm not sure how it'll go for us this time.
posted by nevercalm at 10:27 AM on April 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
Non-writer TV guy here. Yes, we would strike in solidarity with our writers, as entertainment is one of the most heavily unionized industries in the US. The last go-round the talent kept us all paid for the entirety of the strike, I'm not sure how it'll go for us this time.
posted by nevercalm at 10:27 AM on April 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
The various new media members of WGA East (Gizmodo formerly Gawker media, Intercept, etc) do not work under the same contract and wouldn't be striking at the same time.
posted by cushie at 10:34 AM on April 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by cushie at 10:34 AM on April 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
So what you're saying is we can blame the striking writers for Trump's presidency?
Not the 2007 strike (Apprentice was already on 6th season or whatever, according to Wiki). The 1988 strike was partly to blame because networks went out to look for non-scripted material, but even then it took some 10-12 years before it blossomed to celebrity-making status. I'd say it's likely production companies would come up with some of those concepts anyway.
posted by lmfsilva at 10:36 AM on April 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
Not the 2007 strike (Apprentice was already on 6th season or whatever, according to Wiki). The 1988 strike was partly to blame because networks went out to look for non-scripted material, but even then it took some 10-12 years before it blossomed to celebrity-making status. I'd say it's likely production companies would come up with some of those concepts anyway.
posted by lmfsilva at 10:36 AM on April 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
Supported them last time, got the t-shirt; I'll support them this time. Wordsmiths gotta stick together.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 10:41 AM on April 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 10:41 AM on April 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
Ken Levine (NOT the Video Game Guy, the Sitcom Writer/Sportscaster) tells us "What you should know about a potential WGA strike"
As for Writers and Reality TV, the worst effect was that, in order to be called 'Reality', many shows needed to have NO credited writers, yet the various credited Producers did a lot to 'script out' the shows, including telling their 'reality stars' what to say and do. Based on his 'performances' since the show, it's obvious that Trump on The Apprentice was heavily scripted (and edited).
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:04 AM on April 7, 2017 [4 favorites]
As for Writers and Reality TV, the worst effect was that, in order to be called 'Reality', many shows needed to have NO credited writers, yet the various credited Producers did a lot to 'script out' the shows, including telling their 'reality stars' what to say and do. Based on his 'performances' since the show, it's obvious that Trump on The Apprentice was heavily scripted (and edited).
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:04 AM on April 7, 2017 [4 favorites]
The SAG-AFTRA strike against 11 video game companies is still ongoing.
I'm looking forward to more entertainment industry strikes - they're in one of the few niches that can appeal to the public successfully. When BART train workers went on strike here a few years ago, the public was split between "hold out for better terms" and "dammit, I don't have a pension; why should they get a pension?" (I always replied with, "why shouldn't you?")
Often the terms of a strike for writers and actors are nearly incomprehensible to the public - they don't know how residuals work, or what reasonable safe working conditions are for acting, so the public opinion comes down to "who do I like and trust more?"
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 5:53 PM on April 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
I'm looking forward to more entertainment industry strikes - they're in one of the few niches that can appeal to the public successfully. When BART train workers went on strike here a few years ago, the public was split between "hold out for better terms" and "dammit, I don't have a pension; why should they get a pension?" (I always replied with, "why shouldn't you?")
Often the terms of a strike for writers and actors are nearly incomprehensible to the public - they don't know how residuals work, or what reasonable safe working conditions are for acting, so the public opinion comes down to "who do I like and trust more?"
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 5:53 PM on April 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
On Monday we'll know if members will authorize a strike. Then it's a race against the clock to reach a deal.
Variety update
posted by lmfsilva at 12:03 PM on April 22, 2017
Variety update
posted by lmfsilva at 12:03 PM on April 22, 2017
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posted by Etrigan at 8:25 AM on April 7, 2017 [21 favorites]