Damon Lindelof is the co-creator and head writer of the television series “Lost,” which means he’s a member of the WGA and currently on strike. It also means his NYTimes editorial about how “TV is dying” due to DVRs may be a bit over the top given current circumstances, but at least he’s honest: “I will probably be dragged through the streets and burned in effigy if fans have to wait another year for ‘Lost’ to come back. And who could blame them? Public sentiment may have swung toward the guild for now, but once the viewing audience has spent a month or so subsisting on ‘America’s Next Hottest Cop’ and ‘Celebrity Eating Contest,’ I have little doubt that the tide will turn against us.” True enough. He sums up the WGA’s argument in one paragraph: “If money is made off of my product through the Internet, then I am entitled to a small piece. The studios’ greed, on the other hand, is hidden behind cynical, disingenuous claims that they make nothing on the web — that the streaming and downloading of our shows is purely ‘promotional.’ Seriously?”
Adds Rocker in comments: “The studios are trying to make a business of it, but losing money right now online while also seeing their offline business downtrend. Meanwhile, the WGA is another snout at the trough, looking for $ before there are any profits. Problem with this is, IMHO, they have no skin in the game. Studios are investing $. Media professionals in other fields are being forced to adapt, learn new skills, take on new responsibilities, etc. The writers haven’t been asked to lift a finger… they just want more cash…”
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