NEWS: The Writer's Strike

WHAT: It's been two decades since the film and television writers went on strike, but huge technological changes have forced them back on the picket lines to negotiate contracts with networks, studios, and producers.

WHY: It won't be long before you start seeing some significant changes on your television set: already late night comedy is missing, and in about three weeks, the networks will be out of their current run of this season's television series. Instead, you'll soon be watching new reality television shows: at CBS alone, they've got 14 reality shows ready in the wings, averting the need for creative, professional guild writing.

That last strike, back in 1988, lasted 22 weeks and cost the industry about $500 million. That's a long time. In the meantime, the studios have stocks of archived shows, and are ready to pump the airwaves with reality television, which may - like it did in the late 80's - erode the real estate for dramatic or sit-com shows. Some of your favorite shows - ER, for example - might not survive a strike.

So what do the writers want? A few things, but the big one is WGA representation in the new media (i.e. internet) world. For example, if a studio wants to develop content for web-only release, they don't want to have to hire WGA writers -- they'd like the right to get anyone they want. Of course, the writers want to be contracted for this original content creation as well - a "new" media since the strike in 1988.

These are tips of the iceberg. For further info, check out:

http://www.wga.org/

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