1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: My name is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:08,040 Speaker 1: Bunjelung Calcottin woman from Gadighl Country. The Daily oz acknowledges 3 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:10,280 Speaker 1: that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the 4 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: Gatighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres 5 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,799 Speaker 1: Straight Island and nations. We pay our respects to the 6 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:19,599 Speaker 1: first peoples of these countries, both past and present. 7 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 2: Good morning and welcome to the Daily Ohs. It's Tuesday, 8 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 2: the ninth of May. 9 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 3: I'm Zara, I'm Sam. 10 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,560 Speaker 2: Hollywood writers have walked off the job for the first 11 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 2: time in fifteen years. 12 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:38,520 Speaker 3: More than eleven thousand TV and movie writers. They're on strike, 13 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 3: halting multiple productions and possibly delaying new seasons of some 14 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 3: of your favorite shows. 15 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: I think people who create the world's and the characters 16 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 1: that people live in should get equal pay. 17 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 2: Popular shows like Saturday Night Live have already gone off air. 18 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 2: So what a writer's pushing for and what will it 19 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: mean for your favorite shows moving forward? We're gonna let 20 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 2: you know in the deep dive. But first Sam the headlines. 21 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 3: A warning ahead of this story. There is some distressing 22 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 3: content here. WA's Corruption and Crime Commission has found a 23 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 3: police officer used excessive and unnecessary force when arresting a 24 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 3: First Nations man in September of twenty twenty one. The man, 25 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 3: known only as Mister L, was punch repeatedly and had 26 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 3: his leg pulled by the officer after being verbally uncooperative 27 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 3: with police. The findings have triggered a reopening of a 28 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:35,319 Speaker 3: WA police investigation into the matter, with the police officer 29 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 3: maintaining his force wasn't excessive and in line with his training. 30 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 2: Over twenty nine thousand people in Western Canada have been 31 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 2: forced to evacuate their homes amid ongoing wildfires. They are 32 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 2: believed to be over one hundred fires in the Canadian 33 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 2: province of Alberta, where a state of emergency has already 34 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 2: been declared. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said emergency services are 35 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 2: doing everything they can to stop the fires and said 36 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 2: it was a difficult and stressful time for many our burdens. 37 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 3: Russia has launched a new wave of military attacks on 38 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 3: multiple Ukrainian cities this week. It comes ahead of Russia's 39 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:17,639 Speaker 3: annual Victory Day holiday, which celebrates the Soviet Union's victory 40 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 3: over Nazi Germany in World War II. In a morning 41 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:24,079 Speaker 3: update on Monday, Ukraine's armed forces said they had recorded 42 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 3: sixteen missile strikes from Russian forces in Ukrainian cities, in 43 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 3: addition to sixty one air strikes and fifty two bouts 44 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 3: of enemy shelling. 45 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 2: And the good news. The sixty seventh edition of the 46 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 2: Eurovision Song Contest will begin in the UK tomorrow. Musical 47 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 2: acts from thirty seven different countries will take to the 48 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 2: stage in Liverpool on Wednesday morning, with a winner to 49 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:51,399 Speaker 2: be crowned over the weekend. Perth pop metal band Voyager 50 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 2: will be representing Australia at this year's competition with their 51 00:02:54,720 --> 00:03:02,679 Speaker 2: song Promise. For the first time in fifteen years, more 52 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 2: than eleven thousand TV and film writers have gone on 53 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 2: strike in the US and they're calling for better conditions 54 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 2: and protections from the Rise of AI. The strike began 55 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 2: last week and could last for months, and it's going 56 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 2: to impact production of some very well known TV shows 57 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 2: and series. 58 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:23,519 Speaker 3: Is there any way that you could re trim? 59 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:31,359 Speaker 1: Yes? All right, now that school's is sleep. I'm lifeguard 60 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: coach to which is why my pepperini there buzz are 61 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: so cooked. They're curling at the ages. 62 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 3: Okay, let's start with who exactly is striking and what 63 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 3: are they striking for. 64 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 2: Well, I think the first thing to point out is 65 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 2: the group that's organizing the strike is called the Writers' 66 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 2: Guild of America and we're going to call them the 67 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 2: Guild because I am banning acronyms in this podcast, and 68 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 2: they're the union that represents the writers. They have eleven 69 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 2: and a half thousand members who work across the industry 70 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 2: writing stream series films, and broadcast TV shows. Now, the 71 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 2: Guild is negotiating with another group called the Alliance of 72 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 2: Motion Picture and Television Producers, So we're going to call 73 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 2: them the Alliance, and they are representing the major studios 74 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 2: and production companies, So on the one hand, the Guild, 75 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 2: on the other, the Alliance. Some of the demands from 76 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:27,600 Speaker 2: the Guild relate to compensation for writers work, with sixteen 77 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 2: percent more writers working at the minimum base rate than 78 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 2: there were in twenty thirteen and the median pay declining 79 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 2: four percent over the same time, so the Guild is 80 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 2: calling for an increase in minimum pay as well as 81 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 2: to writers pension plans and health funds. And I think 82 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 2: it's important to remember that we're talking about the US here. 83 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 2: Where there isn't universal health care or a super scheme 84 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 2: anything like there is in Australia. The Guild is also 85 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:57,279 Speaker 2: making some demands to counter practices that they believe have 86 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 2: created what's called a gig economy inside their work, where 87 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,840 Speaker 2: studios are paying fewer writers to work on a show 88 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 2: for much shorter time than they used to. The Guild 89 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 2: is proposing a minimum duration of employment so that writers 90 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 2: on staff, for example, are guaranteed at least three weeks 91 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:18,559 Speaker 2: pay per TV series episode, and mandating a minimum number 92 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 2: of writers per show. But it's not just pay and 93 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 2: conditions being challenged here. Some of the demands are specifically 94 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 2: to address sam your favorite topic in the world, the 95 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 2: changing nature of the way that we're consuming content, particularly 96 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 2: through the rise of streaming and AI. 97 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 3: Can we zone in on the streaming question, how has 98 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 3: streaming exactly impacted the writers? 99 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:43,240 Speaker 2: I think this is an interesting one because we often 100 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 2: talk about how streaming has changed our consumption habits, but 101 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,640 Speaker 2: I mean I personally haven't often thought about how it 102 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 2: would impact the creators and the writers and the producers 103 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:57,479 Speaker 2: behind these TV shows. And so the Guild has really 104 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 2: brought this to the forefront because they're saying that it's 105 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 2: changed the way that writers are compensated, and one of 106 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 2: those reasons is something called residuals which is a concept 107 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 2: I learned about only recently. So back in the day, 108 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 2: if you worked on a series or a film that 109 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 2: was syndicated or sold, the writers would get what's called 110 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:19,720 Speaker 2: a residual fee. And I know that there's a bit 111 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 2: of jargon there, so let's break it down into an example. 112 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 2: Let's say you were a writer on a TV show 113 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,840 Speaker 2: through a network station. You get compensated for the work 114 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,039 Speaker 2: that you do at the time of writing. But then 115 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 2: in the future, if the network chooses to lease, to sell, 116 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:38,719 Speaker 2: or to air reruns of your work, you'd receive payments. 117 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:40,920 Speaker 3: And that could be like decades of pain exactly. 118 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 2: Think about like the office that has added a lot 119 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 2: of reruns. You would also receive payments from the sale 120 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:51,840 Speaker 2: of DVD versions of the series in films you worked on, 121 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 2: which of course is almost null now. 122 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 3: What a DV stop. 123 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 2: But the rise of streaming has obviously changed things. There's 124 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:05,800 Speaker 2: less syndicating, there's very few DVD sales and reruns happening, 125 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:08,559 Speaker 2: and that's because most of the content that we watch 126 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 2: goes to streaming services and stays there. So to address this, 127 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 2: the Guild is basically saying that residuals should now be 128 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 2: based on how popular content is on streaming services, and 129 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 2: that a site like Netflix, for example, should have to 130 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 2: disclose audience sizes, and that that's how the writer's compensation 131 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 2: should be reflected. 132 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 3: So streaming's one part of the negotiations here. The other 133 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 3: is the rise of AI. What's the Guild's position in 134 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 3: that area. 135 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 2: Well, I think it doesn't come as a huge surprise 136 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 2: that writers are looking at the emergence of AI and 137 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 2: they're wondering how will their jobs be impacted. It's something 138 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 2: you and I have contemplated. It's a lot of people 139 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 2: are really considering this carefully, and so the Guild is 140 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 2: worried about how networks and production companies could use AI 141 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 2: to basically get around higher and paying human writers. So 142 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 2: what they're calling for is the regulation of the use 143 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 2: of AI in this industry. Based on what we've seen, 144 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 2: it looks like the Guild is protecting its writers against 145 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 2: a situation of them writing the first season of a 146 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 2: series and then producers just putting that into something like 147 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:23,760 Speaker 2: a sophisticated chat GPT, it's spitting out a second series 148 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 2: of that, and the writers they're not being compensated for 149 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,679 Speaker 2: what was ultimately in the first place their. 150 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 3: Work and some of the examples of people online using 151 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 3: chat GBT to write an episode of the offers are 152 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 3: eerally similar. So I can totally understand why that risk 153 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 3: is presenting itself. Okay, so we have an understanding of 154 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 3: these two issues, these two core issues being presented. Where 155 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 3: are we at with the negotiations. 156 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 2: Well, after six weeks of negotiations on a new contract, 157 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 2: the Guild announced that they'd be striking on Monday last 158 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 2: week because no agreement had been reached. According to the Guild, 159 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:02,440 Speaker 2: the response to their propose were insufficient given the quote 160 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 2: existential crisis that riders are facing. The Alliance, on the 161 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 2: other hand, who remember I said, represent the producers, so 162 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 2: that they've made a generous counteroffer, but that they couldn't 163 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 2: accept proposals on things like mandatory staffing and the duration 164 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 2: of employment because they say that those expectations are unrealistic 165 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:25,040 Speaker 2: in a creative industry. If we turned to AI, the 166 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:28,680 Speaker 2: Alliance acknowledged it was a tricky area and said they'd 167 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 2: committed to discussing the issue and when it comes to 168 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 2: residual payments, that thing we were just discussing. The Alliance 169 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:38,240 Speaker 2: offered a rise in some areas, but it was less 170 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 2: than what was requested and so therefore we saw a 171 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 2: strike begin. 172 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 3: Zira. We're one week into this strike. What can we 173 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:45,959 Speaker 3: expect moving forward? 174 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 2: I mean, it's difficult to know, but if last time 175 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 2: is anything to go by, it's going to be substantial. 176 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 2: So the last time writers walked off their jobs, they 177 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 2: were on strike for one hundred days. The estimated costs 178 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 2: to California's economy two point one billion US dollars. We've 179 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:07,200 Speaker 2: already seen the impacts of strikes on comedy shows like 180 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:09,840 Speaker 2: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which have gone off 181 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:13,400 Speaker 2: air or are airing repeats. In the longer term, we 182 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 2: are likely to see delays to new seasons of TV shows. 183 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:20,320 Speaker 2: We've already heard from the creators of Stranger Things who 184 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:24,840 Speaker 2: said that they'd postpone producing their final season. Writers' rooms 185 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 2: for shows like Big Mouth and Yellowjackets have reportedly also closed, 186 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 2: and I think it's likely that we're going to see 187 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 2: big streamers invest in promoting more international content in the meantimes, 188 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 2: outside of the US. 189 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:40,679 Speaker 3: And here you have a situation where audiences are almost 190 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:44,600 Speaker 3: demanding new television to watch weekly, and now you have 191 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 3: a writer's guild strike in the center of the entertainment world. 192 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:49,959 Speaker 3: We'll have to see what happens next. 193 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:55,719 Speaker 2: Thanks for joining us on the Daily OS. If you 194 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:59,079 Speaker 2: learned something from today's episode, don't forget to hit subscribe, 195 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:02,440 Speaker 2: so there's a TV episode waiting for you every weekday morning. 196 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 2: We'll be back again tomorrow morning, but until then, have 197 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 2: a brilliant day.