It was two difficult years for the television book community.
The American Book Syndicate (WGA) revealed that the number of TV writing functions decreased by 42 % for the 2023/24 season. In a new report, the union said that there were 1819 TV writing jobs this season with 1319 jobs compared to the 2022/23 season.
This comes after WGA has spent months fighting studios for a new contract, which is something that the union said partially for new statistics. Other reasons included the decrease in the original programming via cable networks and plays, which decreased from the number of offers “where Wall Street requires the profits of the fast broadcast platform.”
There were also a large number of cancellation and ending offers. According to Guild's data, a cross-TV series covered by approximately 37 % was broadcast in the 2023-24 season.
Most of them were the number of jobs lost for the participating viewers and the producers, which witnessed 642 jobs less throughout the year. There were 378 fewer employees writers, story editor and positions of executive story editor compared to the previous season in addition to 299 jobs in the middle of the level, which include participating producers, consultant producers and supervisors.
There has been a very quiet decrease since the 2018/19 season with 15.08 participants and participating outlets compared to 952 last season.
The script writing has also decreased, but to a lower degree, as the profits of the screenwriter decreased by 6 % for the first three quarters of 2024 and the number of screenwriters who work 15 %.
“It was always difficult to reach the professions of writing and preserving them, but the contraction made it particularly difficult. We are all subject to the decisions of companies that control this industry, which have retracted spending on content based on Wall Street's requirements. It is proven, the current administration seems to be aimed at causing economic chaos and organizing our democracy.”
The report was sent to members by the WGA West Board of Directors and the East WGA Council.
WGA, which represented more than 10,000 books, struck between May 2 and September 27, 2023. The strike was the second longest blow in the union's history in 148 days, linked to the strike in 1960 but less than 153 days continued to strike in 1988. coincided with SAG-Aftra Strike, which lasted from July 14 to November 9, 2023.
