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The WGA Strike's Effect On The Entertainment Industry

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The WGA Strike's Effect On The Entertainment Industry
The Writers Guild of America strike (WGA) is having a vast effect on the economy. The strike is between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the WGA which is looking for a new contract. Not only are the writers and actors being affected by the strike other people are also being affected. It is a wide spread problem that is having a trickle down effect. The WGA strike is a complex problem including the history, separate sides, the cost of the strike and the effect on the entertainment industry.
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike is a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West that started on November 5, 2007. The WGAE and WGAW are two labor unions representing
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What the WGA is asking for a higher percentage to be paid to the writers .They would also like to raise the percentage that would be received for DVD sales as well as worked broadcasted aver the internet. The AMPTP states that the rising production and marketing cost are the reasons that the current percentage should remain the same as well as be applied to all Medias other then television where their works can be broadcasted. One of the main problems that has come up since 1988 is the rise of the internet. With such services such as Itunes. You tube and IPTV, giving viewers the ability to stream broadcasts of television shows and movies straight to hand held devices such as cell phones and I pods. The WGA contract as it stands now does not include payment percentage for any of these Medias. Many people have varying opinions on this topic. Jm Bell …show more content…
Brooks Barnes writes
Meanwhile, moviegoers would not feel any immediate impact, because studios work a year or more in advance and have been stockpiling scripts to shoot in case writers walk the picket line. ( www.nytimes.com)
Some movie sequels could be delayed until 2009 and be pushed into production too soon to get them to the public faster. The quality of the movie could suffer.(www.nytimes.com)
Some television will go into reruns when they run out of new episodes. Hosts like Jon Stewart and David Letterman have come back on the air without writers. Most hosts have started paying non writing staff writers out of their own pockets. Reality shows are not affected by the strike. Networks have stockpiled shows so they can still have new episodes during the strike.( www.nytimes.com)
A solution to the writers guild of America strike would be for both the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers should meet for collective bargaining which is negotiation between organized workers and their employer or employers to determine wages, hours, rules, and working

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