October 31st - The Rise of the Internet Star?

Today’s Hollywood Reporter keyed in on the negotiations that will soon start between the WGA and the top studios and networks whose contract expires a the end of October. One of the key areas of negotiation will, of course, be the internet’s role in WGA-represented projects.

Are online views considered promotional? How will writers’ get compensated for re-purposed material online? It goes without saying that if the networks and studios are making money, writers should be making money, but how much is fair?

Chances are they will figure that out, but with both parties currently on opposite ends of what they think is “fair” it’s a pretty solid bet that those negotiations will go beyond the expiration date.

So what happens on October 31st if there is no deal in place? According to the article the WGA has set aside funds for their members, and Les Moonves says that, “CBS is not going to go blank.” This is because the networks are ordering more episodes upfront than before, and ordering more reality TV because reality TV is yet to be unionized.

And what else isn’t unionized? That’s right, independent online media.

So with October still 3 months away, get your gear and start writing, shooting, and editing away cause if the WGA and networks and studios don’t come to an agreement soon afterwards, networks may be looking your (our) way, and Internet Stars may go from saying, “log on” to “tune in.”

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