WGA Forgets Their Allies, Sows The Seeds Of Their Own Disaster

The WGA just ensured more American Idols far into the future.

WGA demands for reality TV and animation jurisdiction are officially off the table.

The WGA said so Tuesday in confirming its informal talks with studio chiefs, aimed at getting stalled contract negotiations back on track. Scribes may or may not end up accepting contract terms similar to the DGA's, but the move follows the directors' lead by first meeting informally with studio executives under the cover of a press blackout [...]

"In order to make absolutely clear our commitment to bringing a speedy conclusion to negotiations, we have decided to withdraw our proposals on reality and animation," the guild said. "Our organizing efforts to achieve guild representation in these genres for writers will continue. You will hear more about this in the next two weeks."

I saw this one coming a mile away.

I'm someone who would have benefited from expanding jurisdiction, someone who signed a card to have the WGA fight for jurisdiction, someone who's attended rallies and supported individual strikes in favor of jurisdiction. Once again the WGA is following the old-union model of getting whatever they can for their old membership instead of growing the membership. Prepare for plenty more reality shows, more than are on the air now, and a shrinking of the union writing jobs on television. And in a few years we'll all be back here again. The studios now have no incentive to put scripted, Guild-protected shows on the air. That's great.