WGC Newsletter – December 6, 2007
WGC and WGA Update
With the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and
Television Producers back at the table we are hopeful that the strike in the US is
making its way toward resolution. Until that resolution comes, we just want to
remind you that the rules of engagement we communicated to you earlier are still
in effect. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Writers
who are resident in the United States and work under WGA waivers in Canada
are subject to a number of contractual arrangements – if you have any questions,
we advise you to contact the WGA directly.
WGC at the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds
The International Affiliation of Writers Guilds (IAWG) held their annual meeting in
Montreal from November 12 -15. The annual meeting is a chance for guilds to
discuss the kinds of issues they are facing internationally and to collaborate on
best practices and solutions. Each of the member guilds presents a report on the
activities over the year, which includes insights into negotiations, cultural policies,
and conditions affecting production in each centre. The talk of the meeting this
year was of course the strike in the United States, and coming out of the meeting
was the following resolution:
The IAWG wholeheartedly supports the Writers Guild of America (East and West) in their strike
against the giant multinational media conglomerates. Screenwriters are entitled to a fair share of
the revenues generated by their work regardless of the medium of distribution. The WGA has
fought for these rights in the past. New media is the future of our business and we stand beside
our colleagues as they fight again for future generations of screenwriters.
The resolution was moved by WGC president Rebecca Schechter and seconded
by Katharine Way, Chair, Writers Guild of Great Britain. It passed unanimously.
The idea for the International Day of Solidarity - held Wednesday, November 28
– also came out of the meeting.
International Day of Solidarity
On Wednesday, November 28th, WGC members with supporters from other
unions and guilds took to the streets to show their support for their colleagues
striking in the United States. WGC executive director Maureen Parker called on
the studios to “recognize a basic principle: screenwriters deserve a fair share of
the revenues generated by the content they create – regardless of where they
live.” More than 250 people in Toronto and Montreal demonstrated their support
for the WGA cause – with members from all over the country writing to express
their solidarity. The event garnered tremendous media attention, with stories on
television (including CBC and CTV), radio (including CBC, 680 news), in print
(Globe, Star, Hollywood Reporter, Montreal Gazette and more) and online.
The WGA Board of Directors issued this thank you on December 4, 2007.
Dear Members of the International Writers’ Community:
We at the Writers Guild of America extend our heartfelt thanks to members of the international community
for your unprecedented and robust outpouring of support for our cause on International Solidarity Day on
November 28. We were moved and inspired by the hundreds of scribes who marched in front of the Eiffel
Tower in France, at the Brandenburg Gate in Germany, and on the streets of Canada, England, Australia,
Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Wales, and Mexico. Clearly, our fight to win fair compensation from
global media corporations has struck a chord with writers everywhere.
The scope of the protests was truly impressive: In Berlin, over 100 German writers carried WGA picket
signs at the Brandenburg Gate. Hundreds of writers marched in freezing temperatures in Montreal and
Toronto. In Amsterdam, an auditorium full of writers cheered our cause. We have heard from the
Portuguese Screenwriters Guild, the Writers Guild of Great Britain, the International Affiliation of Writers
Guilds, the Writers Guild of Canada, the Screenwriters Guild of Germany, and the Federation of
Screenwriters in Europe. Members of the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild marched for our cause
dressed as leprechauns!
At home, WGA members with international backgrounds marched at NBC Studios in Burbank, California.
Jean-Yves Pitoun, a French native and WGA West member, stressed that the fight in the U.S. has an impact
abroad: “Europeans are very carefully watching the writers, actors, and directors in the U.S. because
Rupert Murdoch is everywhere.”
We thank you for reinforcing that fair compensation for writers is a worldwide cause. Together our voices
will be heard.
Sincerely,
Board of Directors
Writers Guild of America West
Thank you to all who braved the cold to help make this demonstration of support
such a great success – and thanks to the many across the country who were with
us in spirit. Special thanks to Laurie Channer, Alex Epstein, Karen Hill, Manon
Gagnon and Yves Légaré, Jill Golick, Denis McGrath, Anne-Marie Perrotta,
Rebecca Schechter, Sugith Varughese and Karen Walton.
Credit Arbitrations
WGC is looking for volunteers to help in the credit arbitration process.
Screenwriters, particularly those with experience in longform, are encouraged to
contact Christine Rutherford (c.rutherford@wgc.ca) to volunteer. Help us to
ensure that credit is given where credit is due.
CanWest Global and Goldman Sachs
Maureen Parker and Kelly Lynne Ashton, WGC Director of Industrial and Policy
Research, appeared before the CRTC on November 20 to present the Guild’s
opposition to CanWest MediaWorks’ proposed deal to purchase the broadcasting
assets of Alliance Atlantis with the financial backing of an American bank. The
WGC called on the CRTC to maintain the health and integrity of the Canadian
broadcasting system and keep it Canadian. Our presentation focussed on asking
the CRTC to ensure that a Canadian entity contribute more equity and thereby
maintain more control of the broadcasting assets in Canadian hands. Canadian
taxpayers have supported the growth and success of AAC, and if this transaction
is approved, a US company will have control in fact and will also earn 64% of the
profit from its operations. Maureen was quoted in the press saying, “Follow the
money in this deal and it will lead you to the backroom of a New York banking
institution – that’s not where we want decisions made that affect the state of
Canadian broadcasting.”
In addition to the basic structure of ownership, the WGC raised objections to a
number of the provisions in the proposed benefits package accompanying the
deal. CanWest argued during their presentation that it takes 10 years to get a
program from idea to air and linked this to their petition to spread the spending of
their benefits expenditures over ten years rather than the industry standard of
seven. We know well that broadcasters can determine exactly how quickly or
slowly a show can be produced to air. The result of approval would be less
money each year and therefore less incremental impact on the volume of
production each year - or investment in lower budget productions. Neither of
these alternatives is acceptable.
The WGC also expressed our concern that the proposed benefits were not
apportioned equally over the term of the package. This creates the risk that
CanWest will defer the spending while it tries to meet its aggressive financial
commitments to Goldman Sachs. We asked the CRTC to require that they
spend a proportionate percentage in each benefit year to allow for predictability
in the industry.
The WGC also objected to proposals in the benefits package which included
additional news bureaus and digitization of archival material. We argued these
provisions benefit CanWest first and foremost. Benefits packages are supposed
to benefit the Canadian broadcasting system rather than the bottom line of the
broadcaster in question. We recommended that the entire allocation for these
projects be transferred instead to the scripted drama initiative.
The CRTC decision on the CanWest deal will be released before the holidays or
early in the new year.
Canadian Television Fund
Jim Shaw and Shaw Communications are throwing a lot of money at his attack
on the CTF, so he must figure it is worth some money to the corporation in the
long run. He ran a full-page ad on the back page of the Report on Business
section of Saturday’s Globe and Mail, calling the CTF a “$250 Million
boondoggle.” He ran the same full-page ad in The Hill Times, an Ottawa paper
reaching Canada’s MPs, Senate, and key policy makers. The ad graphics now
also appear on the landing page of Shaw Communications website. His charges
of unaccountability and “meager results” are not based on facts. It is our opinion
that Shaw is trying to dismantle the CTF in an effort to repurpose subscriber fees
to fund in-house production according to his tastes and inclinations. Ask yourself
if you want to work for Jim Shaw.
The WGC will appear before the CRTC in the first week of February to argue
against the recommendations of the Task Force on the CTF – the creation of this
Task Force was the first sign that Shaw had powerful sway in Ottawa. As you will
recall, one of the proposals of the Task Force was to split the fund into two: a
‘commercial’ stream (allowing 8 point productions) funded by subscriber fees,
and a ‘cultural’ stream (10 point productions) funded by Heritage, both
administered by the CTF board. It is the WGC’s position – a position shared by
the majority of the film and television industry – that this would be a grave
mistake, and one more nail in the coffin of indigenous production.
As the country is gearing up for elections likely in the spring, we encourage all
WGC members to write their local MP to ask them where they stand on the CTF
and Canadian content, and how they plan to live up to that platform. This is
shaping up to be a serious fight.
New Ontario Minister of Culture
Hot on the heels of the Ontario election, Premier Dalton McGuinty named Aileen
Carroll as the new Minister of Culture for Ontario. Aileen Carroll was elected to
the Ontario legislature in 2007. She began her career in politics as a Barrie City
councilor, and ran federally and was elected as a MP for Barrie in 1997. She was
re-elected in 2000 and again in 2004. Carroll served federally as the Minister for
International Cooperation. Culture is a new portfolio for her, and in the press she
has been quoted as understanding culture as both an expression of identity and
an economic driver.
New Head of the CBC
The Prime Minister’s office has appointed a new leader of the CBC to replace
outgoing chief Robert Rabinovitch. Hubert T. Lacroix, a Montreal corporate
lawyer specializing in mergers and acquisitions who has a background acquiring
radio stations and other media assets, will be the new president and chief
executive of the CBC and its French equivalent, Radio-Canada. Lacroix’s
broadcast industry experience includes a stint with Telemedia Corp., where he
became executive chairman before leaving in 2003. Telemedia's holdings
included radio stations, magazines and websites.
New Issue of Canadian Screenwriter hits stands and post
The Fall/Winter 2008 issue of Canadian Screenwriter has arrived. See this issue
for stories on the writers behind Heartland, The Stone Angel. Poor Boy’s Game,
and Mixed Blessings. WGC members Claire Ross Dunn and Vito Viscomi chart
their paths to the screen, and WGC-Showrunner-Award winner Brad Wright
shares the tale of his first break in the business. Plus, read up on the latest
industry and policy trends, and access important WGC information.
MAP has new offerings
Corporate Direct has joined to offer members benefits for online shopping. They
advertise “online shopping with savings up to 40% off premium retail brands –
shipped right to your door!” Simply visit www.corporatedirect.ca and login
username: entertainment, password: discount and follow the instructions to
browse the products and make your purchases.
Okay so this one is a bit Toronto Centric – Yonge Bloor Yoga Center.
“Connect with what is most important in life, through yoga classes and stress
reduction workshops designed to revitalize mind/body.” The Yonge Bloor Yoga
Centre would like to extend an offer of a 20% discount to all MAP members on
all classes and services at our studio. This discount cannot be combined with
other promotions. Yonge Bloor Yoga Centre is located steps from the
Yonge/Bloor Subway station at 32 Park Road, Toronto, 416.972.9890
www.ybyogacenter.com
Please go to http://www.wgc.ca/members_only/perks/index.html for up-to-date
MAP offerings.