Nov 6, 2007 1:26 pm US/Pacific
WGA Strike Continues With No End In Sight
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
Entertainment writers once again walked picket lines Tuesday as a strike that could have a devastating economic impact went into its second day.
After 11 hours of last-ditch talks, negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers broke off Sunday night, and the writers went on strike at midnight. No new talks were scheduled as of Tuesday morning.
The writers set up picket lines outside major Hollywood studios at 9 a.m. Monday, and the picketing was continuing Tuesday in both the Los Angeles area and New York City. WGA members are being asked to picket in four-hour shifts, starting at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., outside studios or offices where they work.
Several issues stand between the 12,000-member WGA and the producers. The most contentious involves supplemental payments, known as residuals, for TV series and movies shown on computers and other new media, including cell phones.
The writers have been getting strong support from several on-air personalities, and several late-night shows -- including "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" and "Late Show With David Letterman" -- suspended production, as did the CBS comedy "The New Adventures of Old Christine."
A spokesman for 20th Century Fox Television said the show "Back to You" starring Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton will not return from a planned hiatus Wednesday.
In addition, the sitcoms "'Til Death," which airs on Fox, and "Rules of Engagement," on CBS, will also stop production
immediately.
On-air personalities refusing to cross picket lines included Ellen DeGeneres, host of the syndicated show "Ellen," Tina Fay, a writer and star on "30 Rock," and Steve Carell, the star of the NBC's comedy "The Office."
At the risk of losing their jobs, some members of Teamsters Local 399 decided not to cross the picket lines, and that action might have shut down a small number of shows, union officers told the Los Angeles Times.
The strike, while still in its infancy, also resulted in the sudden suspension of special deals that studios extend to star writers. Fox and CBS began notifying some of their top talent that they would stop paying for staff and development, a tactic other studios were considering, according to The Times.
The strike also confronted many in the television industry with a dilemma. Such is the case with so-called show runners, who serve as both writers and executive producers. As WGA members, they are obligated to stop writing while as producers, they must ensure their shows' survival.
Warren Leight, the show runner of USA Network's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," was wrestling with that issue on the picket line, according to The Times.
Although Leight said he would not write another word until the strike was over, he may be called upon for his input on editing and other responsibilities he has as a show runner. "I'm trying to figure it out," he told The Times.
While the strike had an immediate impact on late-night television, TV dramas and comedies are likely to continue airing as scheduled for weeks and months to come because their scripts are written in advance. No immediate impact on movies is expected because these often sit on the shelf, sometimes for years, before they reach theaters.
But even if the initial impact is limited, it could prove devastating in the long term -- for middle-rank writers, for businesses that serve production facilities, and for the entertainment industry.
The last WGA strike in 1988 lasted 22 weeks and cost the industry an estimated $500 million. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said a long strike this time around could cost $1 billion.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
