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Note: The author is a freelance film / photo location scout and location manager and is neither a member of AMPTP or WGA. Any of the opinions expressed are those of R. Richard Hobbs.

Been missing the latest episodes of your favorite sitcom lately? Got left sitting on the edge of your seat wondering what happenned next on that tv drama you really like? Tired of watching reruns of late night talk shows (except for Letterman - and maybe the Tonight Show- but only as of this week…)

Any of the above could likely be due to the the ongoing WGA Writers Strike, which began November 5th, 2007. The two primary organizations involved in this dispute are The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and The Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP).

The WGA supplies writers to the AMPTP, who’s members produce the majority of network television shows and major feature films.

The WGA is a guild. The AMPTP is a trade association.

The last contract between the WGA and the AMPTP expired last fall and the reasons for the strike involves what the WGA feels are unresolved issues in the new, pending contract (obviously a large amount of detail, discussion and info…), but are largely with regard to compensation to the writers from income to the producers from new media and distribution, i.e. internet and other electronic / digital media.

If you follow the many sources of news and information about the strike including entertainment industry and production trade publications such Variety and The Hollywood Reporter (Wikipedia has a good overview of the strike as well), you may find the matter is very involved and complicated. This strike involves major organizations and hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake. Each side has teams of lawyers and representatives and at least one party has hired a public relations firm.

Conventional thinking might suggest that if two parties in question cant seem to agree, then an expeditious solution might be to enlist the services of a knowledgeable, but impartial third party to be a mediator or arbitrator, however, at this writing, one or neither of the WGA and AMPTP appear willing to allow the matter to be solved in this manner and there is no law prohibiting the strike since the strike (arguably does not affect “necessity services”, i.e. public transportation, utilities, etc.

While I am sure, at the bottom of it all, (except for maybe the lawyers? everyone would like to see this strike settled as soon as possible altho it also appears to be a wrestling match as well; my bet is, sadly, that the settlement comes down to whichever of the two organizations has the deeper pockets. The settlement of a situation such as this potentially has far reaching effects for both parties as a group and the lack of same adversely affects related industries… on a more personal level the situation I think a lot of people really want to get back to work … so complicated…

In the meantime, from a selfish point of view, while I am not a a laid-off staff from a show (I am a “non-union” freelance location scout, location manager and photo shoot producer) or currently a crew member on involuntary hiatus from a feature film; overall, there is currently less work for everybody and more people potentially looking to do whatever work might avail itself, so while I am not “directly” affected, a situation such as exists does, in fact affect me, so I just wish we could all just “get back to work”!

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