Writers Strike Ends, Long-Term Impact Unclear

The Writers Guild of America’s (WGA) membership has voted overwhelmingly to end its three month strike, returning some 20,000 television and movie writers to work, and promising to draw to a close widespread use of reruns to fill space over the stretch.

The writers struck on Nov. 5, essentially seeking compensation for use of the material they helped create when used through non-traditional distribution methods such as the Internet. The sides agreed to flat fees for content streamed over the Web.

“This was not a strike we wanted, but one we had to conduct in order to win jurisdiction and establish appropriate residuals for writing in new media and on the Internet,” said Patric M. Verrone, president of the WGA, West. “Those advances now give us a foothold in the digital age. Rather than being shut out of the future of content creation and delivery, writers will lead the way as TV migrates to the Internet and platforms for new media are developed.”

The WGA said it members will next vote to ratify the tentative three-year contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Feb. 25.

Aside of annoying and perhaps angering consumers preferring to see new episodes of their favorite TV shows instead of reruns, it’s unclear what, if any, impact the extended strike will have on long-term viewing behavior.

This was the first writers strike since 1988.

Writers Guild of America www.wga.org

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