Octagon First Call

The countdown is on. More than 90% of writers (roughly 5,000 votes) have given the Writer’s Guild (WGA) authorization to strike on November 1 if a new deal is not in place. The current agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers expires Oct. 31. The two sides have been negotiating since July with Internet compensation and other pay issues still not resolved. Management believes writers should allow the free re-use of WGA-originated content over the Internet in some circumstances. Obviously the Guild would like to be paid for this additional usage. Management has also been seeking to revise current residuals that allow studios to recoup certain basic costs on film and TV projects before paying any future residuals. The Guild rejected the proposal immediately back in July. No strike would be without substantial pain for both sides, but some maintain a fall strike might have more disruptive effect on TV schedules than one called in the winter or spring. Writers are needed on movie sets for scene re-writes and some fall TV programming that is not yet written. A strike could lead to quick, new reality programming at the networks.