For the past few weeks there was legitimate concern that the Writer’s Guild of America was going on strike. In fact, until the final hour there was more than a 50/50 chance that a strike would occur thus putting the writing for virtually every television show at risk of not getting done. While many shows are written through the fall, some shows like The Walking Dead could have been seriously delayed had a strike occurred. Luckily, in the waning moments of last night, a temporary three year deal has been reached. According to TV Guide
The Writer’s Guild of America and the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers came to terms on a new contract early Tuesday morning, resulting in a three year deal will will avoid a massive shutdown of the entertainment industry — for now.
After much negotiation — both in the boardroom and in the public — the two parties have settled on a temporary deal (via Deadline) that addresses the key issues, including how much the AMPTP should pay to the Guild’s health plan, script fees for writers on shows with short seasons and expanded protection of exclusivity rules. Most importantly (for some), the definition of work has been formally set as 2.4 weeks per episodic fee, which should help cover the shorter seasons that have become M.O. for cable and streaming. More details will be released after the WGA officially ratifies the agreement.
Via a statement from the WGA: “”The Writers Guilds of America, West and East and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have concluded negotiations and have reached a tentative agreement on terms for a new three-year collective bargaining agreement.”
So rejoice people! The Walking Dead should air as scheduled. You’ll recall that in 2007 a strike DID occur and billions in revenue was lost. The scenario in today’s TV world would have been even more catastrophic.
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