2008 Woodie Awards
SectionsWriter's strike hits home with writers, viewers
Rebecca Roman
Issue date: 11/27/07 Section: News
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For the first time in almost two decades, TV and film writers put down their pencils in strike on Nov. 2 in protest of low pay.
Sitting down to watch one of the many popular shows on TV only to find another rerun might come as a surprise to some, however, TV and film writers in Hollywood have been on almost a month-long strike that doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon.
"TV and film writers don't make millions of dollars," Diana Botsford, media, journalism and film instructor and Writers Guild of America member said. "Most TV and film writers struggle to make $40 grand a year."
Surprisingly, most TV and film writers work from paycheck to paycheck with their last project as their only source of income.
"They live off residuals when they don't have a gig, and it's those residuals that are at the center of the current negotiations," Botsford said.
TV and film writers only make pennies on each DVD of the movie or show sold.
Online viewing resources like YouTube offers TV shows for free in exchange for viewing commercials that the network profits from but not the WGS writer is also a factor. This also includes the iTunes issue that allows series and films to make additional income while the writer receives nothing.
"Writers are not getting profit," Botsford said. "Writers are making very little with things like Netflix."
Even writers on shows with high ratings like "The Office" have gone on strike because of unfair wages. Another factor comes into effect when actors on the programs are also writers.
"Steve Carell is part of the WGA also," Botsford said. "Since he's on strike, the whole show has to be postponed."
Other shows on strike include "Grey's Anatomy" as well as talk shows like "Late Night with David Letterman."
The motto of the WGA strike is "Pencils Down Means Pencils Down." That motto signifies that they will not write anymore until the problem at hand is resolved.
While the WGA seems to have a fair claim to complain, the shows' producers are not all to blame.
Sitting down to watch one of the many popular shows on TV only to find another rerun might come as a surprise to some, however, TV and film writers in Hollywood have been on almost a month-long strike that doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon.
"TV and film writers don't make millions of dollars," Diana Botsford, media, journalism and film instructor and Writers Guild of America member said. "Most TV and film writers struggle to make $40 grand a year."
Surprisingly, most TV and film writers work from paycheck to paycheck with their last project as their only source of income.
"They live off residuals when they don't have a gig, and it's those residuals that are at the center of the current negotiations," Botsford said.
TV and film writers only make pennies on each DVD of the movie or show sold.
Online viewing resources like YouTube offers TV shows for free in exchange for viewing commercials that the network profits from but not the WGS writer is also a factor. This also includes the iTunes issue that allows series and films to make additional income while the writer receives nothing.
"Writers are not getting profit," Botsford said. "Writers are making very little with things like Netflix."
Even writers on shows with high ratings like "The Office" have gone on strike because of unfair wages. Another factor comes into effect when actors on the programs are also writers.
"Steve Carell is part of the WGA also," Botsford said. "Since he's on strike, the whole show has to be postponed."
Other shows on strike include "Grey's Anatomy" as well as talk shows like "Late Night with David Letterman."
The motto of the WGA strike is "Pencils Down Means Pencils Down." That motto signifies that they will not write anymore until the problem at hand is resolved.
While the WGA seems to have a fair claim to complain, the shows' producers are not all to blame.
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