Possibily of no Daily Show or Letterman for awhile...

College Life
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<p>THIS IS HORRIBLE NEWS!!! But I guess there’s nothing we can do…</p>

<p>Oh and the title is supposed to be Possibility</p>

<p>LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) – The entertainment writers’ union is set to decide Friday whether to stage a strike over royalties that could immediately pinch late-night TV shows. </p>

<p>A strike by the Writers Guild of America, which represents about 12,000 film and TV writers, would be its first work stoppage in nearly 20 years. If it were to drag on for months, a strike could threaten to slow down TV soap operas and films – which have been stockpiling scripts.</p>

<p>Late-night TV shows, such as those hosted by David Letterman, Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel, and programs such as “The Daily Show,” would be in trouble first because of their topical nature. These shows are not typically written or recorded in advance.</p>

<p>On Thursday, union negotiators at a meeting of guild members recommended a walkout. After the meeting, Steve Skrovan, a screenwriter for Fox’s “'Til Death,” said a strike is all but inevitable.</p>

<p>“We’ve never been more united and we are willing to deal – and our decision makers are at the table,” said Skrovan. “Their decision makers are not at the table, and that tells you pretty much all you need to know about how the companies are pushing this.” </p>

<p>Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers President Nick Counter said the news was no surprise.</p>

<p>“By the W.G.A. leadership’s actions at the bargaining table, we are not surprised by tonight’s recommendation,” Counter said in a written statement. “We are ready to meet and are prepared to close this contract this weekend.”</p>

<p>Daytime soaps normally stockpile about 30 days in advance, and most prime time shows would likely make it through the end of the year without any impact on programming. Watch how a strike could affect your favorite shows</p>

<p>But networks would have to resort to reruns, news programs and reality shows to fill the schedule in 2008 if a strike were to drag on.</p>

<p>The labor impasse concerns royalties from DVD sales – last negotiated in 1988. Writers also want royalties from the so-called new media – all the various places their works are distributed, including Internet downloads. </p>

<p>The labor impasse concerns royalties from DVD sales – last negotiated in 1988. Writers also want royalties from the so-called new media – all the various places their works are distributed, including Internet downloads. </p>

<p>“The future of TV is not going to look like what it’s been for the last 30 years,” said TV writer Dave Schiff, who has penned scripts for “King of the Hill” and “That '70s Show.”</p>

<p>“So, you know it’s not just for us who are currently working, but writers down the line, that we make sure that we get a … piece of the pie.”</p>

<p>But CBS President Nina Tassler said not enough is known yet about new media revenues.</p>

<p>“We don’t know what the pie is yet, in order to determine how to cut it up,” she said recently.</p>

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<p>I don’t watch either of those shows, so this doesn’t affect me. But…Internet comedy for the win! Which reminds me, I need to catch up on some StrongBad e-mails.</p>

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<p>Um, they’re already on strike. They’ve been on strike for a week and a half. The Daily Show, Colbert Report, Conan, and Jay Leno have all been on reruns since last week. Most shows are shutting down later this month because they’re out of scripts; they’re only airing ones they’ve already filmed mostly, because alot of the actors won’t shoot the previously written scripts because of their support for the writers. The Office shut down the other day because Steve Carell won’t cross a WGA picket line since he’s a member.</p>

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<p>“Um,” AUlostchick, the original post was written over a week and a half ago.</p>

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<p>I saw the date on Vail’s, not the one on the original sorry.</p>

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<p>not sure about this, but they can’t hire new writers when they’re on strike right? there are some pretty desperate people waiting to get in. </p>

<p>lucky for me, i only watch movies. old movies. :D</p>

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<p>There’s rules about unions/guilds and the amount of time they can strike, I think, but I don’t think they’re allowed to hire new people, and I doubt they would want to anyway because then all the shows would go in the toilet from total crap that desperate people would produce and the companies would lose money anyway.</p>

<p>The last strike lasted almost 6 months back in 88, apparently, so the writers are poised to make it last that long this time too to get what they want. It’s not like their demands are really unreasonable or anything, they want 11c on the dollar for something that they write and produce and the companies make money off of from advertising, just like they get money from re-runs.</p>

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<p>No, they can’t. See, the WGA (Writer’s Guild of America) has stated that anyone who crosses the picket line to work for the studios will be banned from the WGA for life. </p>

<p>And once the strike is resolved, studios, like before, will only be able to sign writers affiliated with the WGA.</p>

<p>So essentially, any writer who works for them now would very literally be killing their entire career once the strike is resolved. </p>

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<p>That’s incorrect. They’re trying to raise their revenue on DVD sales from 4 cents to 8 cents per unit sold, and gain money on both Internet streams, Internet downloads (to about 4 cents per unit), and promotional Internet videos, all of which they presently don’t get compensated for.</p>

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<p>I though closed shop was illegal in the United States.</p>