Says one expert, "I was very startled by the degree to which the two sides are apart. ... It was really shocking to see how far apart they were, and how many issues the studios refused to even engage on. So in my view, this is going to be a long strike." - Vice
Wow, did that not go as planned. Apparently, Yahoo was also looking at Hulu. "Either of those, with hindsight being 20/20, would have been a better acquisition." - Variety
“We don’t agree with applying a one-size-fits-all solution to shows that are unique and different in their approach to creative staffing,” the AMPTP stated. “Some writers are the sole voice of a show and others work with only a small team. The WGA’s proposals would preclude that.” - Variety
Losses narrowed by $102 million to $235 million, for an adjusted EPS of 17 cents a share, a also ahead of expectations. Shares popped higher this morning on the numbers. - Deadline
Acquiring Esther Perel's Where Should We Begin? "has shown that Vox Media's podcast ambitions extend beyond the digital media company's brand of publications, which include New York magazine and The Verge, and into a realm that appeals to more than just 'tech and (media) industry nerds.'" - The Hollywood Reporter
"Hey, Amazon, free delivery is your job, not ours." "Give up just ONE yacht." "Without writers, Succession is just The Apprentice (and look how THAT turned out)." - NPR
The number of foreign, mostly Hollywood, feature films that shot in Canada jumped from 141 in 2021 to 171 pictures last year, with total budget expenditures rising from CAN$1.38 billion to CAN$1.66 billion (US$1.2 billion) in 2022. - The Hollywood Reporter
The dramatically changed landscape that inspired the walkout — an industry that’s focus-shifted to streaming content — is also going to make it tougher for viewers to even notice their protest, hardship and sacrifice. At least in the near term. - The Hollywood Reporter
On April 27th, Switzerland's Couleur 3 aired all-AI programming for 13 hours: the music was selected by algorithm, the scripts written by chatbots, the hosts' voices deepfaked to read those scripts — and listeners were reminded every 20 minutes that all of it was produced by bots. - ZDNET
"If half the internet can be tricked by an AI-created Drake and The Weeknd collab, could that same tech write scripts and enable studios to create more content for less money? … AI has become a key deal point in the ongoing writers union negotiations." - The Hollywood Reporter
Half of those surveyed said they were spending less time with YouTube in order to spend more time with podcasts. That is twice as many as those who say they are shifting time away from broadcast radio for on-demand audio. - Inside Radio
Studios are cutting writing budgets to the bone by hiring fewer people for shorter time periods, often without paying for lower-level writers to be on set during production, which makes it all but impossible to learn the skills necessary to run a show. - The New Yorker
Contracts generally prevent unions themselves from joining in, but individual members may choose to honor the picket line — though not necessarily without consequences. Here's what various unions are advising members to do. - The Hollywood Reporter
