What Will the Writers Win?

The Writers Guild of America has settled on a deal for a new contract that would end the three-month-long writers strike. But what did the writers win in the settlement?

The provisions of the contract, which is up for vote and ratification on Tuesday, February 12, include clauses on the payment writers will receive for TV content used in new-media platforms.

Studios will be allowed to show programming online for a brief period of time during which they do not have to pay writers (17 days for returning shows, 24 days for new shows and one-time specials).

After that, writers will be paid $654 in the first year of the contract and $677 in the second for hour-long programming, while half-hour program writers will receive $360 and $373, respectively. Starting the third year, writers will earn 2 percent of the distributor’s gross.

The new contract is expected to last until May 2011.

Filed by Sergio Ibarra of TVWeek, a sister publication of Workforce Management. To comment, e-mail editors@workforce.com.