You can't look, read or watch anything pertaining to the entertainment industry these days without constantly being reminded of the Writers Guild of America strike that is currently taking its toll on New York City and L.A. I don't know about you, but other than knowing that Ellen DeGeneres made the controversial decision to cross the picket line, and that (sadly) I will not be seeing any new late night TV in the foreseeable future, I really didn't think about what this strike means for us Canadians. I mean, there was a new episode of Gossip Girl on CTV Tuesday night and Peter Petrelli had a few more shirtless scenes in Heroes this week.
Although right now the strike seems as though it doesn't affect us, prominent figures in Canadian television production warn that this strike may have substantial effects for us viewers. And sooner than we realize.
On Oct. 31 the contracts were up for the WGA, and the writers brought to the bargaining table their dissatisfaction with the measly amount of royalties they receive from DVD sales. Currently, writers receive only four cents for every dollar spent on a DVD. They are requesting an increase so that they receive double what they are now entitled to. Yes, eight cents is all they are asking. And with the onslaught of the Internet downloading boom, writers are understandably demanding a slice of that pie as well. They are asking for the same eight-cent share of the ad dollars earned from online streaming and to be paid for both that and digital content. This would include any of the fancy stuff on iPods and cell phones.
Julia Roberts may get paid $25-million dollars a movie, but who is writing the wit coming out of Erin Brockovich's mouth or creating the rich fiction behind the runaway bride? The writers and other production staff are getting paid next to nothing and most people download illegally by validating it to themselves on the basis that Julia already makes enough money. So what's a $20 DVD compared to her multi-million dollar empire? But we need to think about the little man in NBC's conglomerate, not the Jeff Zuckers of the company. Many shows have been firing their staff due to lack of production, especially at the NBC network. One recent article in the Los Angeles Times quoted a key grip from The Office as saying that as many as 106 production staff have gotten the boot from NBC while the WGA strike continues.
2008 Woodie Awards
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