Reruns Begin As Writers Strike Sinks In

Chief Negotiator For Film & TV Industry Says He Expects A Long Walkout

(CBS/AP)  As television and film writers walked the picket lines, and the group representing movie and TV studios said it was prepared for a long strike, TV viewers got their first big hit of deja vu as writerless late night and other talk shows including "Late Night with David Letterman" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" were forced to begin airing reruns.

Leno, who like most talk show hosts is a writer and former standup comic, dropped by NBC's studios in Burbank nonetheless Monday, riding up on a motorcycle with doughnuts for strikers on the picket line.

The first strike by Hollywood writers in nearly 20 years got under way with pickets on both coasts after last-minute negotiations on Sunday failed to produce a deal on payments to writers from shows offered on the Internet.

Right now, the writers get nothing and they want 2.5 percent of the profits, reports CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker. The studios and producers are offering far less, claiming the technology is too new and their profits too slim.

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Photos: On The Picket Line

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No new negotiations were scheduled.

Nick Counter, chief negotiator for the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, said he expects a long standoff.

"We're hunkered down for a long one," he said. "From our standpoint, we made every good faith effort to negotiate a deal and they went on strike. At some point, conversations will take place. But not now."

The strike will not immediately impact production of movies or prime-time TV programs. Most studios have stockpiled dozens of movie scripts, and TV shows have enough scripts or completed shows in hand to last until early next year.

Disruptions by strikers ended filming at a Studio City cafe being used as a location for the CBS show "Cane."

Tom Hogan, a location manager for the show, said he had hired two off-duty Los Angeles police officers in addition to five private security guards to maintain order during the shoot.

He said the filming began hours before the 20 picketers arrived and involved a script that was finished several weeks ago.

No other major problems were reported at studios or filming locations.

At the CBS lot in Studio City, about 40 people hoisted signs and applauded when picketing began.

"People seem pretty upbeat and determined for now," reported CBS Radio correspondent Claudia Peschiutta from the picket line outside the Warner Brothers Studio in Burbank.

"The question is, how will people feel if this strike drags on as long as the last one strike went on for in 1988? That one lasted for more than five months, and it would be difficult for some of these writers to be without a paycheck for that amount of time."

[briansgirl2]

Yeah, what the hell are you smoking snidegrass??? You are one weird individual.

[jankebenz]

Most of the shows that come out of hollywood these days are tasteless, mindless, garbage anyway,maybe they should show reruns from the 60''s and 70''s which had better content.Modern TV and movies for the most, errode viewers minds of morals,scrupples,values, and self dignaty with all the violence,murder,and seks.Small wonder we''re seeing the same reflected in such increasing numbers

[blackbug99]

How will we know they''re reruns...They really need to announce it before we watch a show. They haven''t done any original writting in years. It''s the same old *** year after year.

[lauramushkat]

I think if the business makes money then anyone who helped them with the product should be paid.

That includes the cmpanies, the writers, all the people behind the scenes and in front like the actors. There will be many more strikes before this issue is taken care of.

Rather then make it so pople need to watch the shows on tv they have made it so you can watch from elsewhere. Anyone who helped to make the product should be in on the take.

Laura

[whatsup49]

while i do not like many of the so-called "hit" shows, like 2 and 1/2 men and others like that show that rely too much on sexual innuendo, i am supportive of the writers. if musicians, singers, songwriters, etc., can get residuals from all aspects of release, then the writers of television shows should as well. If not for great writers, shows like MASH, ER, Gray''s Anatomy, the Unit, and others, would just be rehashing age-old themes. Great writers make great shows. Without writers, actors wouldn''t have a script to stand on....on another note, i am suprised to see all the hatred and name-calling going on in some of these posts. everyone has an opinion and you have the right to agree or disagree and debate the issues, but don''t belittle yourselves with sinking to levels that you have to call each other names...

[dylanxxv]

You left out something Swastika Breath!! SIEG HEIL!! You like your hero, Hitler, hates Unions, what''''s new about that. You are also LIARS and the facts prove it. American Unionized Workers are the MOST productive in the world... You also ignore the fact that since we have been buying into the Nazi view on Unions, American Workers have seen their Standard of Living fall... it has gone for number ONE in the World to DEAD last amoung the G-7. But of course that doesn''''t bother you freaks... you care only about the Bottom Line now don''''t you? Sieg Heil Bush!!
Posted by MCVet at 07:56 AM : Nov 06, 2007
+ report abuse


They may be the most productive, but their quality down right sucks...Do yourself a favor...Go out and buy a 50.00 American made shirt and a 10.00 foreign made shirt and give me an accurate description of the quality of those two shirts after 1 month of wearing them and washing them...I can guarandamtee ya the American made shirt will fail...

[dylanxxv]

Oh I just noticed, you are an employer. Do you pay your employers a fair wage that allows them to afford the necessities of life in America? Would you like to pay them less? Of course you would, so you''''re obviously salivating at the idea of slave labor...
Posted by brianbwb at 02:35 AM : Nov 06, 2007


Why would I pay them less? We provide high quality cabinetry of all types in most of the high end construction here in the Springfield,Missouri area...They do pretty good...4 of them have been with me for 13 years, and 1 for about a year...So I must be paying a decent wage...

[ymaguoc]

Writers are the brains behind television, so yes they deserve to get some profit from their work! In the meantime, why doesn''t everyone get off of their lazy a$$ and do something besides watch tv!

Union workers are the most productive? When it comes to quality, it is down towards the bottom....look at all the recalls there have been on American Made products. I''m not taking about the Cineese toys, I''m talking about American Made Cars...what is it up to now for the past five years? About 3,000,000 recalls? Union workers want a raise, better health benifits, but the quality has been flushed down the toilet. I say, ban all unions and get back to work. Fire the writers and ban the writers guild. Who care anyway? Just a bunch of crappy TV shows anyway. I would rather watch the old black and white reruns instead.

[papabc]

Yawn...
TV is getting boring these days.

Rent/Buy DVDs then watch them,
Play games with the Kids
Read a book
Actually talk to you family/friends.
Go hiking/fishing/camping
Have a party.

[tcoleman12]

MCVet, you are just insane...American Unionized Workers are not the Most productive in the world, as you say. Most of them have job security built into their contracts.
I would suggest that the small-med business owners are the Most productive. They often have the most on the line and the most drive to succeed.
By the way, my wife is in the union for her job. She was told on her first week to slow down and pace herself so the others wouldn''t look so bad.

[killtheliars]

DaMMMM, someone just told me it isn''t cancelled. I guess I''ll be spending alot of time at the bar this week.

[killtheliars]

this is great. I hope they only run reruns of Dancing with the Stars. That show sucks and I have to listen to my wife wine everytime it is on and I am trying to watch a game. I tell her to go in the other room and watch it but of course she thinks it is so good that I should watch it as well. I hope they stay on strike forever.

[mbcsmith]

looks like Mcvile is missing his ugly betty show. He really gets nasty when he can''t whackadoodle to young ugly girls.

[mythoughtsr]

Thank goodness for unions. Without them, too many people would go without the needed pay and benefits they deserve for their work. More unions need to form, especially stores like Walmart. Anyway, these workers are putting a dent where it hurts, in the pocketbooks of the big money makers. It also goes to show where the real talent lies with these big money stars. It''s not with the stars themselves that''s for sure. If I am wrong, then why are they airing reruns? These "great comedians and stars" can''t function on their own talent? I hope the strikers get what they deserve and then some.

[mcvet]

UNIONS are killing america. Dump the unions, espcially the teachers union.
Posted by rmsdm4 at 09:06 PM : Nov 05, 2007


Unions had their place once upon a time...But now all they do is assure most of the stuff we buy comes from China, stupid kids because of lazy teachers and lousy tv writers...OH! And don''''t forget crappy American made cars...
Posted by DylanXXV at 10:09 PM : Nov 05, 2007
+ report abuse

You left out something Swastika Breath!! SIEG HEIL!! You like your hero, Hitler, hates Unions, what''s new about that. You are also LIARS and the facts prove it. American Unionized Workers are the MOST productive in the world... You also ignore the fact that since we have been buying into the Nazi view on Unions, American Workers have seen their Standard of Living fall... it has gone for number ONE in the World to DEAD last amoung the G-7. But of course that doesn''t bother you freaks... you care only about the Bottom Line now don''t you? Sieg Heil Bush!!

[mcvet]

It has been reported that Hillary Clinton is trying to break the strike by appearing on TV lighting farts, and being "just one of the guys" Man, now that entertainment
Posted by airmanc5 at 09:51 PM : Nov 05, 2007
+ report abuse

Just when you think these Bush Bootlickers have sunken as low as they can go...they prove you wrong! ROFLMAO Sieg Heil Bush!!

[trish3185]

Bravo to the writers! BUT...Let''s hope that being off work for a while will jump start their creative juices and when they return to work, maybe they will have story lines that don''t always revolve around ***.....

[andor3]

It is not about the union or the writers--the fault is the networks and production companies.

The writers asked for a reasonable pay for work they do that generates revenue, the production companies refused. All the production companies had to do was be more reasonable and less greedy and they would be cranking out shows right now and cashing advertiser checks.

[brianbwb-2009]

Unions had their place once upon a time...But now all they do is assure most of the stuff we buy comes from China, stupid kids because of lazy teachers and lousy tv writers...OH! And don''''t forget crappy American made cars...
Posted by DylanXXV

So you think that if the unions vanish that business will let us keep the gains we fought and died for? That they won''t push us back to dollar a day wages, of less?

Oh I just noticed, you are an employer. Do you pay your employers a fair wage that allows them to afford the necessities of life in America? Would you like to pay them less? Of course you would, so you''re obviously salivating at the idea of slave labor...