Writers' Strike Nears End

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ALISON STEWART, Host:

Okay, if you've had enough of this…

(Soundbite of TV show, "Survivor")

Mr. JEFF PROBST (Host, "Survivor"): We are flying over the beautiful islands of Micronesia: crystal-clear water, magnificent coral reefs and one of the most stunning collections of underwater sea life in the world. Just below me are 10 Americans who are about to begin the adventure of a lifetime.

STEWART: Or maybe you don't want to hear anymore of this…

(Soundbite of TV show, "Deal or No Deal")

Mr. HOWIE MANDEL (Host, "Deal or Deal"): Well, Mark, deal or no deal?

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STEWART: Perhaps you're simply craving this.

(Soundbite of TV show, "30 Rock")

Mr. TRACY MORGAN (Actor): (as Tracy Jordan) Who's crazier, me or Ann Curry?

STEWART: Oh, then your dreams become true as early as Monday afternoon. After nearly a hundred days of the Writer's Guild of America strike, it seems to be headed to a conclusion. If the deal is approved by the members of the Guild, the writers could return to work as early as Wednesday.

RACHEL MARTIN, host:

Let it be so.

STEWART: However, if you were hopeful "Ugly Betty" would get back on next week, not so. For hour-long series, it will likely take about six weeks for new episodes to hit the airways - sitcoms, not quite as long. I'm waiting for you, Tracy Jordan. Here to give us the latest in the front lines of the strike is Entertainment Weekly's senior editor, Thom Geier. Hi, Tom.

Mr. THOM GEIER (Senior Editor, Entertainment Weekly): Hi, how are you doing?

STEWART: I'm doing well. I have a really simple and slightly crass question.

Mr. GEIER: Okay.

STEWART: Who won?

(Soundbite of laughter)

STEWART: In this strike, who won, the Writer's Guild of America or the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers?

Mr. GEIER: Well, I think everyone can come out happy now that the writer's strike seems to be on the verge of being over, and the writers got a chunk of what they were looking for. They wanted a percentage-stake in digital downloads and basically the way that people seem to be consuming television more frequently, off of the Internet, whether it's downloads or streaming. And in this contract, in the third year of the contract, they get an actual percentage of that. And they hope that that will set a precedent for the future in a way that will protect them in the future. They feel that when DVDs and videos came along in the 1980s, they didn't get enough of a cut of that right from that outset, and so now they feel they have an upper hand as things go forward.

MARTIN: Well, you said they got most of what they wanted - the writers, that is. What did they have to compromise?

Mr. GEIER: Well, they had to compromise on several things. First of all, they're not getting those percentages right away in the contract. And second of all, one of the things that they were looking to do was to expand the number of writers in the Guild and the number of writers covered by this contract. So the writers who work for reality shows and for animated shows aren't covered under this contract. They wanted to get them in. They couldn't get in.

STEWART: So why is it important or why does it work for the writers to get a percentage of the distributor's revenue for digital distribution versus a flat fee for Web stream shows that the directors agreed to?

Mr. GEIER: Well, they see the way things are trending, and, you know, there may not be DVDs five years from now. Everything may be on the Internet. And so if they have a percentage, at least they're locked into a cut of this as it becomes an ever-growing portion of the revenue stream.

MARTIN: So was there a tipping point for either side that would bring them to the table for meaningful negotiation at this point?

Mr. GEIER: I think there have been ongoing discussions. And as things were dragging out, and - I think there was a sort of artificial deadline of the Oscars, which are coming up in two weeks. And I think everyone wanted to wrap things up before then so that Hollywood could proceed to pat itself on the back, as they like to do every year.

STEWART: We're talking to Entertainment Weekly senior editor Thom Geier about the end of the writers' strike, which looks imminent. Let me ask you about unintended consequences from the strike. I'm wondering if anybody's come out a winner, any particular show? I mean, I looked up and I saw that "Dexter," which was on cable, was now going to be on CBS. Did the strike help create any new stars or franchises along the way? Or did it kill any juggernauts or potential big hit shows?

Mr. GEIER: I think in some ways it's too soon to tell. There are shows from cable like "Psych," which are going to be aired on NBC, or "Dexter," which is going to be aired on CBS, in slightly abbreviated versions since they can get away with a little more content - racy content, on cable. But that hasn't come to air yet. I think there's going to be some other things that we're still going to have wait for. There's going to be a lot more reality TV for the next few months, because it takes a while to wrap up production on these things. And some shows, like "24", we're not going to see till next January.

STEWART: Why not?

Mr. GEIER: They had shot eight episodes, but I think the feeling is that they're not going to be able to get on the air until June, and why wait until the summer months? Why not just hold it back?

STEWART: Is there any concern about the SAG contract negotiations coming up in June, or will they likely get the same raw deal as the writers?

Mr. GEIER: I think there's a great deal of concern. And certainly, the movie studios have been rushing everything into production to guard against the possibility that the actors will go out on strike in the end of June. But certainly, the imminent successful conclusion of the writers' strike suggests the precedent that perhaps the actors, too, will come to the table and reach a similar deal.

MARTIN: As an entertainment journalist, was this an interesting story for you?

Mr. GEIER: It was, and a little bit frustrating that we're not able to cover the shows that we usually cover. But it was a fascinating behind-the-scenes drama.

STEWART: Thom Geier is senior editor for EW. Thanks, Thom.

Mr. GEIER: My pleasure.

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