WGA To Protest American Idol
The Writers Guild of America doesn’t want to be rude, but it’s protesting American Idol tonight!
As part of an ongoing effort to gain jurisdiction over reality show programming, the WGA hopes to call attention to producer FremantleMedia North America’s alleged failure to “treat its ‘reality’ TV writers and other workers with respect by improving working conditions and providing health care and pension benefits.” The WGA believes that AI workers “do not receive benefits that are standard in the entertainment industry including minimum compensation, health insurance, and retirement benefits,” among other things.
The threshold issue is whether staff members on AI and other reality shows are considered writers or producers, the latter not qualifying for protection under the WGA agreement. Popsquire expects this issue to remain hot for quite a while and will keep you posted.
