Downloads are a hole because most of the content is never paid for. It doesn't count. Also, the authors were already compensated, and so were the performers. The producer is the one who risked his own money and he deserves to have at least 1 source of income that they aren't privy to.

The ones that aren't paid for directly are paid for in the same way that television broadcasts are paid for- ad revenue.

"Already compensated" is a term that only has meaning in terms of their contract. As the contract is under negotiations, it has no meaning at the moment.

It seems pretty likely that the time isn't far off that downloads will be the primary method of distribution, so your "at least 1 source of income" complaint falls pretty flat.

I have to disagree there. Every time we watch a move or TV show on the 'net, it's the same as watching it on TV, so why shouldn't the writers get paid for that too? Doesn't sound unreasonable too me.

Putting it in capital letters still doesn't make it true.

Those numbers are bullshit. They are not numbers for the writers who write for a television show that is on every week. That is the amount of money averaged for all of the members of the writer's guild. This includes those working and not working. When a writer writes a script for a movie and he gets 250k for it, and he says he spent 5 years writing it (which means he's a useless slug) they say, "He only made 50k per year".

No, it just stresses something that is already true.

No. Clod's right. Also, in netiquette terms, it's considered shouting.

My God you are ignorant. The strike is not about movie screenplay writers, it has nothing to do with them. So putting aside yet another useless analogy of yours--yes, let's talk about "numbers for the writers who write for a television show that is on every week."

In 2006, the average weekly pay for a writing job in television broadcasting in New York was $2,450. Weekly--what an odd way to calculate it, right? Why not yearly? It's because they really are paid by the week. A standard show season is usually 13 weeks, 26 weeks at most. So that translates to $31,850-$63,700 per year. You might get lucky enough to be employed on more than one show, but their seasons must be completely independent and not overlap for even a week, which is difficult with cable and impossible with networks.

63,700 for half a year's work is extremely good. In fact 44k is good for half a year's worth of work too. This reminds me of the idiots who say teacher's aren't paid enough when they get 40-60k per year with a 3 month vacation. I wouldn't make that much money if I didn't work for 3 months each year.

God forbid writers should find another job during the other 6 months and have to work all year like everyone else. There's a lot of people who work much harder and who have a far greater education than most writers who don't make that much money working all year.

A video from a Daily Show writer, with a special guest star:

You of all people should know that how hard a person works or how much education they have purchased has exactly zero bearing on how much that person is worth.

The unique product the writers create is demonstrably worth more than they are being paid for it. Neither side wants the industry to switch to a completely free-market model, but if it did, you may be certain they'd be earning a lot more than they are now.

What's up with your favorite shows?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, production has shut down on NBC's struggling freshman drama "Bionic Woman" on November 9, because they ran out of available scripts. That could be why it wasn't on Wednesday...(edit) or maybe not. I just checked TVG Online. It says a new ep. airs next Wednesday.


Also shut down is Sci-Fi's "Battlestar Galactica", due to the same reason.

"Bionic Woman" had shootings scheduled up until December 12, and "BSG" was supposed to stay in production until mid-March.

...So when's BSG going to air?!
what about the mini-series?!

The BSG movie is tomorrow.