TV and movie writers in the US are set to go on strike. Read more from CNN and New York Times.

According to the New York Times report,

The strike would pit union writers, whose position has been eroded by reality television and galloping technological change, against studios and networks that are backed by big corporate owners like General Electric ands News Corp. , but are also unsure of the future.

The walk-out threatens an instant jolt to television talk shows like “Late Night With David Letterman” and “The Daily Show With John Stewart,” which rely on guild writers to churn out monologues and skits.

And if the strike drags on, audiences could see the eventual shutdown of soap operas, TV series, and movie productions, as studios exhaust their scripts.

Methinks this is the first major writers’ protest in the era of the internet, and one which all writers should watch and follow closely. News reports say this is about writers’ moves to obtain a larger share in the royalties from DVD sales. But whatever the outcome,  the strike or the threat thereof will determine industry’s treatment of writers in the next few years.

A Writers Guild of America member was quoted as saying that “this is about respect and in Hollywood, respect is equated with money”.

I wish the striking writers all the best and solidarity from Manila.