[One of the] sticking points towards the end of the negotiation process was around generative AI, with the language in this contract very carefully constructed, analyst Fred Black tells TVBEurope
By Jenny Priestley
Published: September 25, 2023 Updated: September 26, 2023
[One of the] sticking points towards the end of the negotiation process was around generative AI, with the language in this contract very carefully constructed, analyst Fred Black tells TVBEurope
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
The news that the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have reached a tentative agreement to halt the current strike is giving hope to members of the film and TV industry around the world.
Early this morning UK time, the two sides said they had reached a tentative agreement to end the strike, which began 146 days ago.
We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional - with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership, the WGA's negotiating committee wrote in an email to members.
To be clear, no one is to return to work until specifically authorised to by the Guild. We are still on strike until then, the WGA message added.
The WGA's negotiating committee will decide on Tuesday whether to recommend the agreement to the board of the WGA West and council of WGA East so that they can vote on it. Should that go ahead, the Guild's 11,000 members will then be asked to vote.
But while the WGA has reached some agreement, the actors' unions remain on strike.
Fred Black, analyst at Ampere Analysis, tells TVBEurope he believes it is highly likely that the WGA members will agree to the new deal. The lengthy work stoppage has hurt the struck companies, but it has hurt working writers more [as they] have mostly been out of a job for the past five months. Now a deal has been agreed, I think the overwhelming desire will be to get back to work as soon as possible.
One of the key negotiating points has been the WGA's Minimum Basic Agreement on pay, which is understood to have undergone some drastic changes, adds Black. The other sticking point towards the end of the negotiation process was around generative AI, with the language in this contract very carefully constructed. The agreement of a minimum basic staffing level for episodic TV is also likely on the cards, as it was a red line when we started way back in May.
Perhaps the most important part of the deal though, will be the agreement on residuals for streaming- both for the immediate benefits to writers who feel their content on streaming platforms has been undervalued, but also as a potential blueprint for the ongoing SAG-AFTRA negotiations.
Black adds that as many of the issues at the core of the actors' strike are the same or similar to those covered in the prospective WGA deal, there will be pressure on both sides to use this agreement as a blueprint to bring about a swift resolution to the strike.
The impact of the writers' strike has been huge, largely shutting down production before the advent of the actors joining the strike, says Black. The resolution has important impacts too in the new world of streaming, the terms of these agreements will set the playing field for the future of the TV and film industry, serving as the starting point of negotiations between creatives and business leaders for years to come.
However, even though the writers could be back at work very soon, most of Hollywood' will remain shut down until the actors and the AMPTP reach an agreement.
The resolution of production now depends entirely on the SAG-AFTRA strike, states Black. While the potential blueprint of the WGA agreement, and the AMPTP negotiators' undivided attention ought to expedite that process, there is no guarantee of a swift resolution at this point. [Everyone] in Hollywood will be keeping a keen eye for any signs of the desired swift progress towards a resolution.
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
15/04/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, announces the market launch of the ACCE...
15/04/2026
Harmonic's XOS Media Processor Delivers Exceptional Video Quality to More th...
15/04/2026
Five Decades of Box Office Intelligence: Comscore Celebrates 50 Years of Movie M...
15/04/2026
Two Cities Television and Keeper Pictures to produce six-part series in association with Screen Ireland for RT and ITV Studios
RT has commissioned Two Citie...
15/04/2026
RT 100
RT unveils The Signal' a specially commissioned 60-second film
...
14/04/2026
ToolsOnAir and Omnistream Bring Mobile SRT Contribution into Professional 24/7 P...
14/04/2026
Captures a trio of renowned polysynths
The latest software to join AIR Music Tech's extensive catalogue captures the sound of three sought-after polysyn...
14/04/2026
Free offering includes 10 powerful plug-ins
United Plugins have announced the launch of a new bundle that brings together 10 of their pro-audio plug-ins, an...
14/04/2026
Julian Coryell joins virtual session player line-up
Announced at NAMM 2026, Celemony's Tonalic kits DAW users out with real performances by world-class ...
14/04/2026
X-Rite Pantone Color Academy Grand Opening in Shanghai
On March 27, 2026, X-Rite Pantone, the global authority in color standards and color science, held the...
14/04/2026
14 Apr 2026
VEON and JazzWorld Receive Competition Commission of Pakistan Appro...
14/04/2026
Tuesday 14 April 2026
Nicola Coughlan and Aimee Lou Wood to host next two episo...
14/04/2026
Lead writer and executive producer Jack Lothian joins alongside lead director Je...
14/04/2026
Wuppertal April 14, 2026
Thomas Riedel Acquires Premium Manufacturer ARRIStrategic Alignment With the Riedel Group for Innovation and Growth
Thomas Riedel, f...
14/04/2026
New Service Simplifies Integration of AI Applications with Exceptional Reliabili...
14/04/2026
Luxembourg, April 14, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, today annou...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir Composition Builder 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: The Composition Builder 2026 application for macOS enables TV stations and Live Event broadcast...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAr just:live pro 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: just:live pro 2026 is a Multi-Channel Live Production Playout solution for video and static or real-ti...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAr just:play pro 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: just:play pro 2026 is a Multi-Channel automated 24/7 Master Control playout solution with SD, HD and U...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAr live:cut 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: live:cut is an option to just:in mac pro 2025 and enables multicamera production workflows for up to 16 cam...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir Just In Mac Lite NDI 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: The Just In Mac Lite NDI application is a streamlined media capture solution designed specific...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir Just In Mac Lite 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: The Just In Mac Lite application is a streamlined media capture solution designed specifically for...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir just:in mac pro 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: just:in mac pro is a macOS-based client-server multichannel capture solution to record SDI, HDMI, N...
13/04/2026
Intuitive EQ plug-in gets an upgrade
Following its official launch back in February 2026, Musik Hack's intuitive EQ plug-in has been treated to its firs...
13/04/2026
Flagship soft synth collection expanded
The latest version of UVI's flagship vintage-inspired soft synth collection has just arrived, expanding the suit...
13/04/2026
Free version of innovative string library arrives
Released in October 2025, Lux Orchestral Strings was said to be Sonuscore's most ambitious library to ...
13/04/2026
The Girls' Research Camp is part of the Technology - Future in Bavaria edu...
13/04/2026
Rohde & Schwarz transforms submarine communications for real time underwater dom...
13/04/2026
Rohde & Schwarz enables Pulsar signal simulation to support next-generation navi...
13/04/2026
The search for Ireland's newest country music star is live on Friday 17 Apri...
13/04/2026
Monday 13 April 2026
Global environmental action NGO WRAP brings recycling to l...
13/04/2026
J nger Audio has joined the EBU ADM Implementers Group (ADM-IG) as a founding me...
13/04/2026
FOX Latin America Announces The Launch Of The FOX Channel In Central America And...
13/04/2026
No amps, no safety net The biggest challenge was the music itself. Everything in the film is acoustic and unamplified. The theme itself is kind of hard to expl...
13/04/2026
RT Radio 1 has today launched a significant step in its ongoing strategic evolution. Following the launch of its brand-new schedule late last year, RT Radio 1...
13/04/2026
The Late Late Show Opening Act, the search for Ireland's newest country musi...
13/04/2026
RT has today announced the appointment of Annemarie Britz to the position of Chief Financial Officer, RT following a public competition.
Annemarie Britz is c...
12/04/2026
Headphone system designed for immersive monitoring
With the demand for immersive audio showing no signs of slowing down, lots of companies are turning their...
11/04/2026
Engineer collective welcome Freddy Knop
Infrasonic, an award-winning collective of audio engineers operating out of Nashville and Los Angeles with credits r...
10/04/2026
After launching the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico last year, we brought the fan-voted celebration to Paris this week for its first edition in France. Hosted ...
10/04/2026
Powered and unpowered live PA ranges upgraded
Yamaha have just refreshed four of their hugely popular PA speaker ranges, delivering significant improvements...
10/04/2026
Underlying plug-in & VI technology now available to others
UJAM's latest announcement sees the company open up' Gorilla Engine, the development pla...
10/04/2026
Luxembourg, April 10, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, announces that it has entrusted BNP Paribas with the implementation of a liquidity agreemen...
[One of the] sticking points towards the end of the negotiation process was around generative AI, with the language in this contract very carefully constructed, analyst Fred Black tells TVBEurope
