| Whenever we turn on our television sets on we | | | | The writers want to strike until their conditions are |
| expect to be able to see our favorite shows. We | | | | met and the AMPTP will not negotiate until the |
| have network channels, cable channels, and satellite | | | | writers stop striking. This has created a deadlock. |
| channels to choose from. | | | | NBC nightly news reported that combining everyone |
| We wait from one season to the next to see the | | | | that has been affected financially, the cost of the |
| many shows that we love to watch. This year we | | | | strike is about one billion dollars. |
| have hit a little snag with some of these shows due | | | | These financial aspects of the strike trickles down to |
| to the writer's strike. | | | | all kinds of workers associated with the shows and |
| The writer's strike has been going on now for weeks | | | | movies affected. Cast and crew members, caterers, |
| and weeks. It started back in November and though | | | | costume companies, and even janitorial services are |
| some progress has thought to have been made, it is | | | | all being touched because of this strike. |
| not over yet. If you are an average person who just | | | | After reading this much, you now might be curious as |
| wants to watch television, the issues concerning the | | | | to what exactly the writers want. One issue is the |
| strike might not interest you that much. | | | | residuals that come from the marketing of DVD's. |
| It does interest the more than 12,000 writers that | | | | The DVD home video market has become a huge |
| decided to strike because they want better terms. | | | | business, and to make a long story short, writers |
| They are members of the Writers Guild of America | | | | think they deserve a bigger and fairer piece of this |
| East and West. These are labor unions and they | | | | pie. |
| represent writers that work on television as well as | | | | New media like that which can be viewed over the |
| radio and films. | | | | internet and on cell phones and union jurisdiction over |
| They are striking against The Alliance of Motion | | | | reality program and animation writers are both issues |
| Pictures and Television Producers. This alliance consist | | | | that are also being argued over. The Writers Guilds |
| of many big production company names like Warner | | | | normally renegotiate issues with the AMPTP every |
| Brothers, Walt Disney Productions, MGM, and many | | | | three years, but because of these three problems, |
| more. | | | | no contract could be reached this time. |