From reruns to reality - is there an end in sight for the WGA writers' strike?

Tuesday night. 9 pm. A new episode of America’s favorite pill-popping MD, Gregory House in another medical mystery diagnosis, is to be aired on Channel FOX. The TV is turned on and what is being shown, with much disappointment, but a rerun of the cynical doctor of “House, MD.” As a result of Writers’ Guild of America’s (WGA) strike, no new episodes have been written for this show and many other shows, resulting in many reruns, loss of viewers, and most importantly, loss of several millions (if not billions) of dollars in the film and TV industry.

Beginning November 5^th, 2007, the WGA has been on strike because, among the many proposals from both sides regarding the new contract (as the old contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers – AMPTP – ended in October of 2007), there are several key issues of contention for the writers including DVD residuals; union jurisdiction over animation and reality program writers; and, perhaps most importantly, compensation for today’s newest media – shows and programs written and made for the Internet, digital cable, “On Demand,” etc. Summary, the strike is about money and who deserves more.

Now entering into its 12^th week, negotiations between the WGA and the AMPTP have been minimal and irresolute. After the modest Golden Globes “press conference” in early January, the industry is itching to come to a compromise that works for the writers, directors (the DGA also joined in on the strike), and producers but who is going to budge first?

The screenwriters do deserve a cut of the ever-growing digital technological “pie” as without their words and creativity, the public is condemned to viewing and listening to Ryan Seacrest’s personal anecdotes on “American Idol” or, better yet, the rough-and-tumble action of “American Gladiator” – two both intellectually stimulating shows that the American audience has been forced to watch as a result of the lack of new programming. So from reruns with the ever-contemptuous Dr. Gregory House to trashy reality TV with the sarcastic music producer Simon Cowell, will the strike ever end?

One can only hope as many TV plots were left at cliffhangers and the public needs to know if the “Desperate Housewives” can put their lives back together after the tornado. The reality is that thousands of jobs and millions of dollars have been lost and still there seems to be little progress. So, if not for the viewing audience, but the families of those jobless, the strike needs to end and a compromise needs to be made if the film and TV industry is going to survive another day. If not, the American public is going to need a new hobby.

Related Articles:

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/arts/entertainment-writers.html?scp=2&sq=WGA+writers+strike

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/08/business/media/08strike.html?scp=7&sq=WGA+writers+strike