UPDATED: All along the issue, the really big issue, was whether the striking writers would still feel united if some of them went back to work and others stayed on the picket lines. I’ve learned that was just one of the many worries voiced by the WGA to the posse repping Worldwide Pants when it applied for an interim agreement allowing the two late night shows it owns, The Late Show With David Letterman and The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson, to return to the air on January 2nd fully staffed with scribes. ”It was a tough decision,” a source close to Letterman acknowledged to me just now. “This happened by the slimmest of all possible margins.” So tough that Dave’s negotiating team didn’t know whether the pact would be approved by the WGA until the very last minute today.
It was, finally, at midday following several meetings and a lot of phone calls, sources say. The Letterman camp — which included Worldwide Pants CEO and longtime Late Show exec producer Rob Burnett, ex-CAA partner and now Worldwide Pants exec Lee Gabler, and the Hollywood entertainment law firm of Jackoway Tyerman and Wertheimer — was sworn to secrecy until the WGA could first talk to Jay Leno and his writers and then produce a press release. But the news leaked out early, reputedly from Leno’s side.
“I am grateful to the WGA for granting us this agreement. We’re happy to be going back to work, and particularly pleased to be doing it with our writers,” Letterman said in a statement issued by his company. “This is not a solution to the strike, which unfortunately continues to disrupt the lives of thousands. But I hope it will be seen as a step in the right direction.”
On the one hand, this is the first side deal cut by the WGA with a producer since the strike began on November 3rd as part of its new and articulated “divide and conquer” strategy. ”Worldwide Pants has accepted the very same proposals that the Guild was prepared to present to the media conglomerates when they walked out of negotiations on December 7,” the WGA said in its announcement today.
But I’m told the WGA leadership was particularly worried how Leno’s writers would react since it gives Letterman’s show a real leg up on late night competition for guests like celebrities and politicians (i.e. Democratic presidential contenders who don’t want to cross picket lines). “I don’t think they wanted to upset Jay or those writers because they’ve all been incredibly supportive of the WGA during this strike,” an insider explained to me. “But it’s not Jay’s writers’ fault that Dave’s lawyers made a deal for him to own his show and Jay’s lawyers made a deal for him to be an NBC employee.”
Indeed, the WGA statement announcing the deal took care to note how “it’s time for NBC-Universal to step up to the plate and negotiate a company-wide deal that will put Jay Leno, who has supported our cause from the beginning, back on the air with his writers.”
But a statement by SAG prez Alan Rosenberg hailing the deal underscored the huge advantage which Letterman’s two shows will have booking big celebrity guests — an endorsement by the actors guild itself: ”Screen Actors Guild members will be happy to appear on The Late Show with David Letterman and Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson with union writers at work and without crossing WGA picket lines,” Rosenberg made clear.
Another argument against granting the interim agreement was that Worldwide Pants didn’t control the New Media rights to Letterman’s shows. But CBS said in its statement issued tonight: ”CBS controls the Internet exploitation rights for both programs, and will comply with any eventual negotiated agreement between the AMPTP and the WGA.” But then Letterman’s side showed that its company and not CBS is the one responsible for paying residuals to the WGA writers for Internet use of the shows.
Still another argument, and perhaps the most convincing, was that by granting the interim agreement the WGA would enrich CBS which collects the ad revenue from Dave’s shows and therefore help the AMPTP. Indeed, the AMPTP’s own statement accused WGA’s negotiators of “misrepresenting the fact that Worldwide Pants is an AMPTP member”.
But inside the WGA, a source told me, ”the question was whether the hurt felt by NBC in late night would be worse than the benefit given to CBS. Some people didn’t accept that. Those people also wanted to make a side deal with a much bigger company than Worldwide Pants,” an insider told me. “But there was an actual strategy behind today’s decision.”
That strategy goes something like this: In order for this gambit to work to the WGA’s benefit, two things must happen: Leno’s writers can’t go Financial Core, and SAG has to tell its people to only go on Dave’s shows. “Then you have Jeff Zucker in huge pain. You also have to remember that Les Moonves has very little power in the AMPTP. Jeff Zucker and Jeff Immelt have much more power in the AMPTP. If they see their Tonight Show franchise going down the tubes, they’ll put a lot of pressure on the other CEOs to return to the talks,” a source explained. “In the final analysis, they hoped this is a watershed.” (I can confirm that, at one point, Dave’s camp argued that NBC would break ranks with the AMPTP and do a side deal with the WGA in order to save its late night lineup, especially with Conan O’Brien about to succeed Jay Leno. But, in the end, no one at the WGA bought into that, so Letterman’s side dialed it back.)
But now there may be rifts within the WGA over the deal.
Before today’s announcement, I received phone calls and emails from some well-known WGA members, especially feature film writers, angry that the WGA was even contemplating such an agreement while at the same time dumping those issues important to screenwriters like possessory credit, free rewrites and endless meetings without pay. They told me they planned to stop picketing and possibly go Fi-Core over what they see as a strike that’s become more about television that movies.
Tonight I’ve managed to reach one of those successful screenwriters who phoned me and he’s furious. “I’m going back to work,” he said, asking me not to use his name. ”I have gotten five phone calls tonight from feature writers and every single one of them has said some variation on, ‘Bullshit on this. Why am I looking at staying out of work until April when these guys are going to start picking up paychecks on Tuesdays?’”
The writer continued: “All you’re doing every time a movie or TV star goes on Letterman is making money for a member of the AMPTP. If you’re going to strike GM, then you strike GM. You don’t say, ‘We’re going to give a waiver to the guys making pickup trucks because they’re really good guys.’” You don’t maintain solidarity by letting a handful of guys go back to work. So what’s next: Lorne’s people go back to work? Then Colbert’s people go back to work?
“I read the reasoning behind this on your site just now that they’re trying to break Jeff Zucker. Are they out of their minds? NBC Universal’s numbers are a rounding error in the grand scheme of General Electric. All GE has to do is sell one power plant in Dubai and it covers the entire revenue stream of NBC Universal.”
But another successful feature film writer, Mike Werb (The Mask, Face\Off, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider) just told me he applauds the Letterman deal and doesn’t see it as divisive. “I’m thrilled for the Letterman writers and for Letterman that as one of the most important people in the entertainment business he can take this stance. From my point of view, I don’t see any negatives in this deal. To me, it just serves as an example of how a side deal can be made. Personally, I applaud Worldwide Pants whether there’s a domino effect or not to be seen. If the deal is acceptable to the guild, it’s completely acceptable to me. That’s why I was one of the 90% who voted to empower this strike and my partners in this, which is the negotiating committee.”
Werb noted that during the last writers strike in 1988, he was working for a firm that also secured an interim agreement with the WGA, Sam Arkoff’s AIP, and recalled no controversy over that deal. “You never heard any arguments. People seemed happy.” Nor does Werb think there’s a movie vs TV writer schism developing. “I can tell you that during this strike now I’ve been on the picket lines every day and the spirit is significantly stronger this time than then. I’ve met so many screenwriters and TV writers all fusing together.”
Here are the various statements about today’s decision:
First, the WGA’s email to its own members about the decision:
To Our Fellow Members,
We are writing to let you know that have reached a contract with David Letterman’s Worldwide Pants production company that puts his show and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson back on the air with Guild writers. This agreement is a positive step forward in our effort to reach an industry-wide contract. While we know that these deals put only a small number of writers back to work, three strategic imperatives have led us to conclude that this deal, and similar potential deals, are beneficial to our overall negotiating efforts.
First, the AMPTP has not yet been a productive avenue for an agreement. As a result, we are seeking deals with individual signatories. The Worldwide Pants deal is the first. We hope it will encourage other companies, especially large employers, to seek and reach agreements with us. Companies who have a WGA deal and Guild writers will have a clear advantage. Companies that do not will increasingly find themselves at a competitive disadvantage. Indeed, such a disadvantage could cost competing networks tens of millions in refunds to advertisers.
Second, this is a full and binding agreement. Worldwide Pants is agreeing to the full MBA, including the new media proposals we have been unable to make progress on at the big bargaining table. This demonstrates the integrity and affordability of our proposals. There are no shortcuts in this deal. Worldwide Pants has accepted the very same proposals that the Guild was prepared to present to the media conglomerates when they walked out of negotiations on December 7.
Finally, while our preference is an industry-wide deal, we will take partial steps if those will lead to the complete deal. We regret that all of us cannot yet return to work. We especially regret that other late night writers cannot return to work along with the Worldwide Pants employees. But the conclusion of your leadership is that getting some writers back to work under the Guild’s proposed terms speeds up the return to work of all writers.
Side-by-side with this agreement, and any others that we reach, are our ongoing strike strategies. In the case of late-night shows, our strike pressure will be intense and essential in directing political and SAG-member guests to Letterman and Ferguson rather than to struck talk shows. At this time, picket lines at venues such as NBC (both Burbank and Rockefeller Center), The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and the Golden Globes are essential. Outreach to advertisers and investors will intensify in the days ahead and writers will continue to develop new media content itself to advance our position.
We must continue to push on all fronts to remind the conglomerates each and every day that we are committed to a fair deal for writers and the industry.
Best,
Michael Winship
President
Writers Guild of America, EastPatric M. Verrone
President
Writers Guild of America, West
Then the WGA’s public statement:
“The Writers Guild has reached a binding independent agreement today with Worldwide Pants that will allow The Late Show with David Letterman and Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson to return to the air with their full writing staffs. This is a comprehensive agreement that addresses the issues important to writers, particularly New Media. Worldwide Pants has accepted the very same proposals that the Guild was prepared to present to the media conglomerates when they walked out of negotiations on December 7.
Today’s agreement dramatically illustrates that the Writers Guild wants to put people back to work, and that when a company comes to the table prepared to negotiate seriously a fair and reasonable deal can be reached quickly.
It’s time for NBC-Universal to step up to the plate and negotiate a company-wide deal that will put Jay Leno, who has supported our cause from the beginning, back on the air with his writers.”
From David Letterman’s Worldwide Pants:
Worldwide Pants Incorporated, David Letterman’s independent production company, announced today that it has agreed to terms with the Writers’ Guild of America on an interim agreement that will allow The Late Show With David Letterman and the Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson to resume production on January 2, 2008, with the writing staffs of both shows.
“I am grateful to the WGA for granting us this agreement. We’re happy to be going back to work, and particularly pleased to be doing it with our writers,” said Letterman.
“This is not a solution to the strike, which unfortunately continues to disrupt the lives of thousands. But I hope it will be seen as a step in the right direction.”
“This is a positive result, both for the WGA and for our shows, and we are appreciative that the leaders of the Guild dealt with us reasonably and in good faith,” said Rob Burnett, President and CEO of Worldwide Pants and Executive Producer of The Late Show.
The January 2nd original episode of The Late Show With David Letterman will air at 11:37–12:37 AM, ET/PT on CBS. Guests will be announced at a later date.
And finally from the AMPTP:
“While it is good news for viewers that the jokes will be back on the late night shows, the biggest joke of all appears to be the one the WGA’s organizers are pulling on working writers. The people in charge at WGA have insisted on increasing their own power by prevailing on jurisdictional issues such as reality, animation and sympathy strikes. Yet today the WGA made an interim agreement to send writers back to work that by definition could not have achieved these jurisdictional goals — gains that would at a minimum require the company making an agreement to actually produce reality and animation programming. WGA’s organizers are also misrepresenting the fact that Worldwide Pants is an AMPTP member. Today’s agreement is just the latest indication that the WGA’s organizers may not have what it takes to achieve an industry-wide deal that will create a strong and sustainable economic future for writers and producers alike.”
From Screen Actors Guild president Alan Rosenberg:
“We are pleased that Worldwide Pants has reached an independent agreement with the WGA and The Late Show with David Letterman and Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson will be back on the air with their WGA writing staffs. We hope this encourages all of the talk shows to follow suit and use only WGA writers. Screen Actors Guild members will be happy to appear on The Late Show with David Letterman and Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson with union writers at work and without crossing WGA picket lines.”
- WGA Met With Reps For Worldwide Pants
- Official: Stewart/Colbert Return Jan. 7th
- Dave’s Company Meets Friday With WGA
- Dave’s ‘Only Focus’ On Air With Writers
- WGA Reminds Returning Jay And Conan: No Monologues
- Dave Cooks Up WGA Deal That NBC & ABC Won’t Enjoy
- WGA On Monday Will Say To Moguls: “Let’s Make Individual Deals”
- The Line To Break Mogul Ranks Is Here…
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
On balance, I think this is a plus for the WGA.
The downside is that it helps CBS increase its earnings somewhat. As for “some writers going back while others strike,” that’s an unavoidable consequence of the divide-and-conquer strategy, and the striking writers have to hold the line while the return of Letterman and Ferguson works its poison on the unity of the AMPTP companies.
The upside is that CBS’s advantage puts pressure on the other networks. Leno’s and O’Brien’s shows are co-owned by NBC and thus any deal with the writers would cover all NBC Universal production. Jimmy Kimmel’s show is co-owned by him (Jackhole), ABC Studios and Touchstone, so again, no separate deal can be cut.
The WGA needs to lean hard on SAG and DGA members to stay off Leno’s, O’Brien’s and Kimmel’s shows. The WGA definitely needs to picket those shows thoroughly so that any guest has to cross a picket line to appear (not to mention any crew member having to cross to work the show).
And Letterman’s writers need to bring their A-game, to make it painfully obvious to viewers that a late-night show with writers is a class above one without them.
Dave will change everything. He’s a real guy, and one of my heroes. Those assholes won’t be able to shut him up, and the world will finally hear the truth, rather than the near zero network coverage and AMPTP website propaganda.
I know this part of our lives isn’t that significant, given what’s going on in the REAL world. But it’s important. The monoliths must be taken down a notch. Working people (and that’s just what writers ARE) must be paid what they’re worth. Corporations aren’t designed to take such things into account.
So FIGHT, dammit. My heart is out to you all. You creative people are my heroes too…
And Nikki? Your post on Xmas eve should not have been done, in my opinion, after thinking about it for days. It was only disheartening, at the very worst time. This thing is NOT over.
Joe in San Jose
Wonder if any of those free-market studio executives will laugh next week when the Late Show(s) monologues are delivered and Jay and Conan are left doing a soft-shoe on the desktop?
Rock ON, WWP and WGA!
The precedent has been set and the dam is cracking. Watch: more companies will turn their backs on the AMPTP and make independent deals with the WGA.
Best news all month.
I’m a WGA member, though not a prominent one, and I’m fully in favor of Dave’s writers going back to work. It might seem like bad luck for Jay’s writers, or bad news for all of us, but this is part of something much bigger. As far as I’m concerned, this is a step in the right direction.
This was the correct decision to make.
Leno’s Writers should CONTINUE to be upset with GE, NBC Universal and the AMPTP not the WGA. WGA offered to make deals with individual Companies and they kept their word. Finally. This is NOT a Coup for Moonves, it is a humiliation because that show is paying Writers fairly and contrary to the AMPTP strategy under the CBS banner, the only Network to do so. So, in fact, CBS is airing a show which meets with WGA approval. And it allows Actors to appear on Dave’s show without crossing the picket line. I hope SAG sanctions ONLY this show for its members to appear on. The other show should be struck by Actors as a sign of Solidarity.
The point here is Fairness and Respect for Writers and Dave should be applauded for his efforts. I have posted here how I believed Dave was probably very upset at the uncertainty of the back and forth with WGA, knowing Dave is truly supportive of ALL Writers. In fact I doubt he would have wanted to put a show on the air at all without them and may NOT have so I don’t think it was fair for WGA to put him in that position in the first place.
I hope John Bowman will be announcing more deals with other Companies as he has hinted he would do.
Now, Dave can put on a superior show.
This is an important decision and I hope it is just the beginning.
You want to business with the WGA, not a problem, deal with us fairly and you will be rewarded too.
Definitely a risky maneuver – a divide and conquer strategy that risks dividing one’s own side – but one with potential for a high yield. Here’s to hoping for the best.
Anger doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel. As a features writer I’ve already feel like this strike was a WGA fight for TV writers (I will say though that some of my best friends are TV writers) and that I was just an outsider–like being the black sheep or the illegally adopted step-son in the family…
And I’ll confess, even though I’ll be back on the line come 7 January, I’m going to be even more grumpy than normal and it won’t be just at the AMPTP.
I also applaud our Sister Guild, SAG…
SAG topper Alan Rosenberg issued a statement hailing the deal with Letterman’s company.
“We hope this encourages all of the talk shows to follow suit and use only WGA writers,” he said. “Screen Actors Guild members will be happy to appear on ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’ and ‘Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson’ with union writers at work and without crossing WGA picket lines.”
Right On Alan!
This is a vital and necessary move by the WGA. It’s necessary to divide the companies and the only thing I take issue with is the statement from the guild that “Jay Leno has been incredibly supportive.” Excuse me, but HE’S A WGA MEMBER WHO’S CROSSING THE PICKET LINE IN 4 DAYS. HE WAS THE FIRST REAL LATE NIGHT HOST TO ANNOUNCE HIS INTENTION TO CROSS! HE’S A SCAB. STOP THANKING SCABS FOR THEIR SUPPORT, WGA! Who knows, if Leno didn’t announce he was crossing maybe Conan, Letterman, Stewart etc would stay off the job.
the fact that according to Nikki’s story Leno’s team “leaked” the story early, before the guild announcement, proves he’s not on our side.
Aside from that I think this ratchets up pressure on the other major networks. It’s important for the guild to stay united at this time and to not allow dissension to get the better of us. This is step one. Now we need to sign other small to mid level production companies, which will pu pressure on the majors.
WGA did the right thing by giving Letterman and co. the allow the interim agreement. I wouldn’t doubt if the writers give their pay to a guild fund. No matter, the WGA NEEDS to alert the public of this crucial strike, and you can bet it will get a voice on these shows.
Let’s see: Jay Leno is strike breaking, crossing a picket line of his own writer, to act as a scab on his own show, and we are supposed to worry about he’ll react to David Letterman negotiating a fair contract directly with the WGA? I get that Leno doesn’t own his own show, but that doesn’t alter the fact that he is the strike breaker, not Letterman.
In fact I’m hoping that Letterman’s action will make the WGA stronger, that his contract will inspire others to negotiate directly with the WGA and by-pass the AMPTP. Nick Counter isn’t representing the interests of the companies in the AMPTP and it is time they turned their backs on him and wrote fair contracts directly with the WGA.
This agreement ought to shake things up in a positive way for the WGA. Say what you will (and no doubt there will be miles of posts, including mine), until the shows actually air, all we can do is hold our breath.
This is, IMO, the smartest thing the WGA could have done, because by showing that their proposition, which the AMPTP refused to even consider, is not as unreasonable as the moguls wanted to make it out to be and that there is a way for this strike to be settled amicably and fairly, they have placed the ball squarely in the court of the AMPTP and the BIG 8. If they could work out a fair deal with Worldwide Pants, then why not with the AMPTP? Because it’s not about money anymore, but about power. The AMPTP doesn’t want to relinquish one iota of its deathgrip on the throat of the industry, but by making this deal with Worldwide Pants, the WGA may have very well taken the first step in exposing the chink in the armor of the moguls. By making a deal with one independent studio, then another, then perhaps a bigger one, it is perhaps only a matter of time before the AMPTP begins to crack and the great bastion comes crumbling down. Keep chippin’ away at ‘em, WGA. You’ll wear ‘em down. The next thing you need to do is go after NBC and work out a deal for Leno and the other NBC owned talk shows, and that will really create a rift in the AMPTP. Cut ‘em off at the knees and they’ll come crashin’ down like Goliath with a bruise on his forehead.
Well, at least it will cause some kind of disruption in the status quo. As it is, it seems the AMPTP is content to do nothing. This might alter that. I get the possible damage to the strikers’ solidarity.
Hopefully it’ll pay off. Dave’s shows will be sharp and Jay and Jimmy and Steve and John’s shows will suck. Time will tell.
“SAG has to tell its people to only go on Dave’s shows.”
This is exactly the essence of my comment a few weeks ago (when you first reported this news), which you never bothered to post. And I don’t think anybody else echoed it, Nikki. So let’s try this out –
Dave’s writers need to figure out their working expenses – ie. travel, daycare, and so on – and then contribute 90% or so of the balance to a WGA strike fund. That’s the only way they can demonstrate that they are still in solidarity with their striking bretheren. Why not 100%? Their time is no longer theirs. Striking writers, one assumes, have time to pursue other kinds of renumeration, whether it be via blogs, beginning that long put off novel, journalistic pursuits, or that assistant position at Borders.
Whoever the theater writers in this are, they are fools.
Dave’s -company- made an agreement. If CBS wanted to argue for their own agreement, I’m sure they’d get some attention too.
But having Dave on the air, with writers helps the theatrical writers most. Whether they realize it or not, studios have a backlog of scripts they could produce for the next 18 months. Having a source where people can promote those scripts – you know, the ones that will get made/have already been made, means that those movies make more $$, which helps keep their name in circulation and gets them rep to continue to sell their product, plus increases their worth.
Yes, it’s unfortunate that no one else was willing to come to the table and negotiate, but the comparison is invalid.
If United AutoWorkers go on strike against all motor companies because of unfair standards, and Kia comes out and says “Hey! Don’t punish us like Ford, GM, Chrysler, we want to meet all your demands!” and they do, then workers will immediately go back to work for Kia.
One thing you get with Dave coming back with writers is that WRITERS will have a platform where they can help shape the message and get A-List guests who will come on and promote their cause: this is what you get “WITH” writers. The stark contrast helps get the message across to the viewing public.
It also helps show the PUBLIC that the writers are not throwing out numbers and concepts that are “unmanageable” and will “Bankrupt companies” as the studio heads want to point out; in fact, the demands are so reasonable that a small production company could meet them and smile – something I’m sure Dave and his writers will point out.
This may be the best possible chance for the writers to get a continuous pulpit to show the legitimacy of their cause and their willingness to work with others.
Fuck ‘em. I’m not maxing out my credit cards and getting an ulcer while they get to work.
Love that these “feature writers” are using Letterman’s bonafied deal with the WGA as an excuse to go back to work… these folks have no idea what the strike is really about and probably haven’t been on the picket lines since day one anyway — if they were, they’d know this is what all of the pain and giving up our paychecks has been for — to break these mofo’s called the AMPTP. Good on ya to go Fi-Core guys/gals — just know we’ll remember who you SCABS are this go-around.
I could understand being pissed off if thousands — or even hundreds — of writers are going back to work and you (and I) aren’t. But we’re talking about what, 20 people? How many writers do you think Letterman employs? If this will put pressure on other companies to make a deal (or show ones thinking about it <that it’s really possible), then I don’t have a problem with it.
Frankly, the pissed off writers sound like they think this strike is all about them, or should be. It’s about all of us.
The same sort of breaking of ranks is what cost us the home video (now DVD) deal in 1988. TV Writers didn’t think home video would ever be worthwhile for them. It was strictly a feature writer issue and they didn’t want to be on strike for those other guys. Now it’s feature writers who think this is all about television. It’s not. It’s about the future of distribution. (By the way, how long do you think before the studios decide that sending their features to theaters via high speed internet connection makes the movies promotional?)
This is all of our battle: TV writers, feature writers, actors, directors, grips, costumers, everyone. If you think because 10 or 20 or even 50 guys are going back to work this isn’t your fight any more, you’re selling out your friends, your family, and your future.
I’m sorry, but it is the same thing every time. Old union hardliners convince everyone to strike, and in the end everyone get hurt and nothing is gained.
SAG commercial strike is a living example. We were told we had to strike, and in return we would get per air residuals on commercials for cable tv.
In the end, we struck for six months, didnt get pay per play on cable and over half of the commercials either permanently left or are now non union.
Same thing will happen here.
no one is going to win
nikki – did someone at the WGA tell you their strategy behind this move is to put pressure on zucker? if that nugget came from someone else, you should be clear about that. so that angry writers like the one you quote dont think that’s the whole story.
because it aint. there are lots of moving parts here. NBC is only one of them.
A few big name writers going Fi-Core will mean nothing in the scheme of things. As a produced and currently studio contracted feature writer, I get the issue. But the WGA saw this coming; there’s no way they didn’t expect some resentment and action. Still, the strike goes on and I’ll be out there.
I can understand the why film writers may be having problems with this side deal, but to me as an outsider, it looks like the first positive news we’ve heard in a while. This isn’t just about TV, but deals have to start somewhere. I can only hope this will help other production companies break the ranks and make deal on their own.
Hey, “successful screenwriter”
Please don’t go back to work. Your reasoning, well, sucks.
GE will not be happy about eroding their one evergreen and most profitable franchise, the fucking TO-fucking-NIGHT SHOW. Jay’s been ahead of Dave for a decade, now that’s all going to change, just when Conan is supposed to take over. And using your reasoning, if NBC is a rounding error to GE, then it stands to reason that SETTLING THE STRIKE IS EVEN LESS THAN THAT.
Therefore it is entirely possible to view it this way: is GE, that bottom-line-minded faceless corp really going to take a few million in savings on residuals vs. the possible erosion of their most important and money-making franchise?
I’m not saying it’s a slam-dunk, but it’s a worth finding out.
People like you going back to work of course, will make this all moot. That will be just be perfect for the companies. Divide the Guild, strike over, nothing gained.
I hope you understand that this is not about favoring anybody and only about strategy.