| By scifiupdates.com,
on 17-10-2006
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Favoured : 120 |
In what is promising to become a bad situation for all involved, NBC Universal has refused to pay residuals or credit the writers behind the Battlestar Galactica webisodes put out on Sci Fi Channel’s website. NBC claims that they’re “promotional materials,” more like commercials than actual shows, and therefore no credit or residuals are due. So, under the advice of the Writers Guild of America, executive producer Ron Moore has refused to deliver the remaining material to studio execs. In response, NBC Universal seized the material and slapped unfair labor practice charges against WGA. “The guild unlawfully pressured producers not to perform,” says Marc Graboff, West Coast president of NBC Universal TV. Says Moore: “We’re all heading toward a collision over digital content. Somebody’s going to blink, but I don’t think it’s going to be the writers.”
This fight is only the beginning - the Writers Guild advised the producers of three other NBC Universal shows to with-hold their web content as well until a deal was reached with the studio. Viewers are downloading content to computers, cell phones, and iPods at breakneck speed, and WGA West executive director David Young says “it doesn’t matter which technology wins out, the companies are going to make money, and we can’t get shut out.” None of the current Writers Guild contracts cover the new technologies in depth. The stakes are high, considering that 5.5 million downloads of the Battlestar webisodes took place last month, compared with only 2.2 million people tuning in for the season premiere on October 6.
If something isn’t done to resolve the situation quickly, there’s big trouble ahead. Some 900 writers attended a unity rally on September 20, and they’re ready to strike if a deal isn’t reached soon. Submitted by Commodore Mac, Scifiupdates.com
Last update : 17-10-2006
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