Notes from the Writers' Strike
8:45 AM November 5, 2007
(Burbank) -- Debbie Stephens and Stephanie Springer drove all the way down from Sacramento to see a taping of the "Ellen DeGeneres Show."
They showed up at NBC at 6 this morning to get tickets.
A network representative stood outside the gate to tell then there would be no show today. "Ellen" is cancelled thanks to the writers' strike.
Debbie and Stephanie were given "Ellen" t-shirts as a consolation.
It doesn't exactly repay them for their 9-hour drive. All they got was a lousy shirt.
"Of course, we're disappointed," they told me. But they promised they'd drive back down to L.A. in January, when the taping is supposed to be rescheduled. If the strike is resolved.
Now that's viewer loyalty.
Question is: How loyal will the network TV audience really be? If their favorite dramas and other scripted shows go off the air because of a long strike, will they eventually come back?
Network executives are hoping they will. Praying might be a better word.
This TV season hasn't been so great so far. Ratings for many shows are not so strong.
TV faces more competition than ever -- from the internet, from video games, and from people having less free time.
People get into habits. When they tune in and find repeats on TV, they may change. Permanently. They might not tune in again.
That would really hurt a business that's already hurting.
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well week one is done and week 2 is now a day old, however the truth still has not been told.......
both sides have been talking for sometime as we all know, what we all "DO NOT" know is that the WGA wanted 8 cents instead of the current 4 cents, which is a 100% increase..... both sides came to an agreement after producers low-balled them at 6 cents, they settled on 7 cents, and then the WGA stated they wanted back pay on residuals from their previous contract and the producers had told them that there is no way to give that!!!!!!!! so the WGA calls a strike of their some 12,000 members.... which they feel will cripple the industry, when in turn they are killing families on a more broad scale.
during previous talks between producers and other unions, a deal is made, its signed and abided by, cause its a contract. so whatever was set in stone then, the unions, as a whole, can not expect to go back on that.
so bottom line, the WGA, are acting out of "GREED" and to be honest, most of the members most likely don't even know that a deal was given and sought out by both sides, to be a fair deal, and they too are going to suffer the wrath of a strike, set forth by their own union officials.
Posted by: JR | November 13, 2007 at 12:41 AM
Will people turn away from programs because of re-runs - No - we put up with re-runs a lot - We don't like them, but we still come back when the original episodes come back. Like or not.
It is time that the networks and producers adjust to the world of publishing and pay what they should. Writers are just as necessary as the actors and other staff that puts on these mindless hours we call TV. We love our mindless activities - those who write them should be paid accordingly.....
Posted by: Jeri Chatham | November 05, 2007 at 04:37 PM
Oh No! A Writer's Strike. That will just give Mark Kriski more of an opportunity to ramble on about nothing and interrupt the REAL reporters.
Posted by: David Wilson | November 05, 2007 at 12:55 PM