Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Writers Approve The Contract
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
IT'S OVER!!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
It's Over! (Soon)
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Is That The Finish Line I See?
Friday, February 8, 2008
The Moment (err... Weekend) Of Truth
The negotiating team will go over the proposal, point by point, with the Membership.
If a majority of the assembly seems happy with the Terms of Agreement, and will likely ratify it – the greater board will take this into consideration when they meet on Sunday. Then, on Sunday they will vote on whether or not to lift the strike, and send everyone back to work on Monday. They will only vote to lift it if they feel that the majority of membership likes the deal and will ratify it. If that's the case – we go back to work on Monday.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
WGA To Present Terms Of A Deal This Weekend
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Call For Posts
Wire Services Report Big Progress
Friday, February 1, 2008
Weekend Special - Open Post For The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hardliners' Voices Rise Above The Moderates
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Both Sides Are Talking
Monday, January 21, 2008
The Irrational Fear That Reruns Will Disappear
A Response to Nikki Finke's Shitty Column
If This Deal Was On The Table In October...
Friday, January 18, 2008
New, Increased Moderation Of Comments At United Hosting
Thursday, January 17, 2008
DGA Has Reached A Deal!
The DGA has announced that is has struck a new deal with the AMPTP which includes doubling the DVD residual for all Internet Downloads (such as iTunes), and a new residual for Internet Streaming (such as NBC.com).
While the internet streaming residual is likely lower than what WGA members were hoping for (2 payments of $600 -- first after 17 days, and again after 26 weeks), it is important, I think, to put this into perspective. This deal would give WGA jurisdiction over the internet, which has to be the number one concern at this stage. It also gives the Guild payments based on Distributor's Gross, which was key.
The most important thing to remember is that WGA could sign this deal now, and revisit the actual dollar amounts in three years. Hell, they could even strike again! (Note to WGA -- just because the previous strike was 20 years ago doesn't mean you HAVE to wait for 7 more contracts before using the Strike Threat Leverage again).
My initial reaction (which I'm sure is no surprise to anyone) is that this deal appears to be a good one. It is lower than what the Writers hoped for, I'm sure.
The question is, are they ready to stay out for another 6 months in order to get an extra $1200 or so per episode from the Studios?
I hope not.
IF there were a DGA Deal now, what would it mean?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Random Selection Continues, Approval Falls
Monday, January 14, 2008
DGA Deal?
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Pardon Me While I Rant...
Friday, January 11, 2008
Is Bill Maher An AMPTP Shill?
DGA Talks To Begin
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Another Awards Celebration Down - WGA?!
Strike Casualties Continue To Add Up - ICM, WB
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Golden Globes Scrapped - Will Oscar Fall, Too?
Monday, January 7, 2008
Side Deals A-Plenty, Sorta
WGA is likely to announce a deal with United Artists today which is similar to the WorldWide Pants deal which allowed David Letterman and Craig Ferguson to return to the air with their writers.
Rumors are also swirling that similar deals are being discussed with Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company.
Meanwhile Dick Clark Productions, the company behind the Golden Globes telecast, has been unable to work out a deal. NBC is finally giving serious consideration to canceling the telecast. If the broadcast is canceled, the awards ceremony could still go on, only without pickets and with full attendance of the evening's nominees, including writers and actors.
DCP has maintained that they are not AMPTP signatories and would sign the same deal which was signed by WWP. WGA has offered no public explanation why they won't sign a deal with DCP. Rumors and blog comments suggest that WGA does not want to give NBC advertising revenue, and wants to deny AMPTP members the promotional aspect of the telecast.
This rationale does not make sense, however, since identical arguments could be made about the WWP deal. CBS gets advertising revenue from those broadcasts, and Alliance Members can freely send stars to Letterman and Ferguson to promote their upcoming releases.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Presidential Politics
After watching the Iowa Caucuses and the two-party debate in New Hampshire, I have decided to endorse (for whatever THAT'S worth!) Sen. Barack Obama for president.
All this talk of being "the candidate of change" is nice, but what's really important are the candidate's ideas, in the scope of our nation's history, and Obama may be the one candidate capable of uniting the people of this nation and putting us back on the path to greatness as a country.
For twenty years, two families have held the White House. Do we really want to extend that streak to 24 or 28? Do we really want history to record a list of presidents that goes Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton? Certainly this alone is not reason to vote against Hillary. But the underlying meaning is that we need to look forward, not back.
Barack Obama for President.
(I promise, this will be my only post about politics for politics' sake. Thank you for indulging me.)
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Stewart, Colbert Claim WGA Playing Favorites
WGA Staffers Are Set To Picket WGA Itself
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Pitfalls Are Plenty For StrikeTV
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Happy New Year?
It's January 1; a day that is supposed to be greeted with hope and optimism.
This year, however, is starting with fear, anger, sadness, anxiety. And failure.
Our industry is mired in a strike which has completely stalled.
In a time when we should be looking forward, we are forced first to look back. What were the architects of the walk-out thinking? Was this ever a course of action which was going to result in any greater gains for the Members than the alternative? Was there ever a chance it would lead to a shorter, less costly path to a contract than any of the other options? Did the Leadership, or Members, ever ponder for a moment that there were indeed other options?
This strike was born of hubris. Its life is therefore bound to be defined by pain, regret and remorse. We can only hope that its life will be short. But did today’s Doctors Frankenstein expect their monster to live so long and create so much devastation as it has already?
And what of the vision going forward? Where will the Guild take us now? What is the plan?
What, too, of the aloof, irresponsible Producers? Dare we hope that the Studios seize the opportunity to end the suffering and get back to the business of entertainment? Will they see that when you’re after getting the honey, then you don’t go killing all the bees?
Or will both sides stay the course of name-calling, finger-pointing, and digging in their heels?
New Year’s Day is a symbolic time for new beginnings, a bright start, renewed purpose and fresh resolutions. Writers and Producers both should take heed of the time, as it is your common enemy.
One may outlast the other, but by then both may find that time has passed you by and, in so doing, irrevocably damaged our once-fantastic dream factory and eroded the previously bountiful landscape of Hollywood into a sad, desolate wasteland.
It’s January 1. Hope survives. Optimism is gone...
But it could return.