News > WGA Dismisses Proposal

Written by David Morgan

After four days of closed-door negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, the two groups have broken the media silence to talk about a deal that was recently presented to the writers. Though the AMPTP described the proposal "groundbreaking" the WGA was more inclined to call it "a massive rollback" and "a bad deal."

According to Variety, the proposal "would deliver more than $130 million in additional compensation to scribes over three years." The key areas that concerned the writers were as follows:

For streaming television episodes, the companies proposed a residual structure of a single fixed payment, based on 1.2% of producers' receipts after a six-week promo window, amounting about $250 for a year's reuse of an hour-long program.

For made-for-Internet material, they offered minimums starting at $800 for five minutes up to $1,300 for 15 minutes and granted jurisdiction on derivative material.

No change in the Internet download formula, currently paid at the DVD rate.

The WGA presented their own "comprehensive economic justification" that would cost the studios $151 million over three years.

Both sides have agreed to resume talks on Tuesday.