In 2006, more than a year before the Writers Strike, twelve producers of America’s Next Top Model walked off their job to demand a new contract: as Writers protected by the Writers Guild of America. The production company refused to bargain with the WGA, worried it would set a dangerous precedent by giving Reality TV producers higher wages, residuals and writer credits. The WGA, on the other hand, were determined to set that precedent.

The Top Model Strike was a disaster.

Reality TV was one of the most complicated issues during the 07/08 Writers Strike - because while the WGA demanded blanket coverage of Reality TV Writers, the TV Networks denied reality TV even had writers and filled their schedules with non-union reality TV shows to ride out the strike. And while the WGA had failed to unionise Reality TV workers, the Director’s Guild of America had already been moderately successful, and weren’t asking for it in their next contract - making them a much easier group for the studios to negotiate with.

CLIPS:

WSC #31 - The It’s All Written Reality Show Rally (The Writers Strike Chronicles, 7 December 2007)

America’s Next Top Strike: Reality Show Writers (NPR’s All Things Considered, 15 August 2006)

Pencils Down! The 100 Days of the Writers Guild Strike

My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad Promo

Where We Are And Where We’re Going (The Writers Guild of America, 2 June 2023)

MUSIC:

“Hiding Your Reality”, “Chill Wave”, “Wepa”, “Tech Live”, “Maccary Bay”, “Ancient Mystery Waltz Presto”, “Concentration”, “Bleeping Demo”, “Bicycle”, “Enter the Party”, “Nonstop”, “Leaving Home”, “On The Cool Side”, “Ever Mindful”, “Rollin At 5”, “Lost Frontier”, “Avant Jazz”, “Crypto”, “Tenerous Bros Carnival - Intermission” & “Groove Grove”

Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

“Bossy Boots”, “VHS Dream” & “Synapse” by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

"Bad Boys" by Inner Circle

Should rap lyrics be allowed as evidence in criminal trials?