Hollywood TV and film writers to picket as streaming shift disrupts TV business

Scores of television and film writers to go on strike starting 2 May 2023, throwing Hollywood into chaos as the entertainment business grapples with massive changes triggered by the global streaming TV boom.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) called its first strike in 15 years after failing to reach a settlement for higher wages from studios such as Netflix Inc. and Walt Disney Co. The last strike ensued for 100 days and cost the economy of California over $2 billion.

In a statement on its website, the WGA said the firms’ behavior has created a gig economy inside a union workforce, and the firms’ immovable stance in this negotiation has betrayed a commitment to further cheapening the profession of writing.

The WGA represents roughly 11,500 writers in Los Angeles, New York, and elsewhere. Members were scheduled to start protesting outside major Hollywood studios starting on the afternoon of 2 May 2023.

On Monday, The AMPTP or the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, reported that it had offered a generous increase in wage to writers but the two sides were unable to reach a settlement.

Media organizations are facing a tough economic situation. The growth of streaming has led to declining television ad revenue, as traditional TV audiences reduce and advertisers look elsewhere. Additionally, the threat of a looming recession in the world’s largest economy does not bode well for the organizations.