The Takeaway: Writers Strike, Day 36

Los Angeles Times: "Talks between Hollywood writers and studios collapsed Friday, dashing hopes of an imminent resolution to a 5-week-old strike that has upended the entertainment industry.... The sides remain deeply divided on how to split up new media revenues as digital technology and the Internet transform the way entertainment is delivered to viewers."

New York Times: Those revenues aren't all that's at issue. Other points of contention include "requests for jurisdiction over those who write for reality TV shows and animated movies; for oversight of the fair-market value of intracompany transactions that might affect writer pay; and the elimination of a no-strike clause that prevents guild members from honoring the picket lines of other unions once a contract is reached."

Ad Age: The strike could be just what ad agencies need to accomplish a longtime goal of theirs: doing away with the annual TV upfront.

Wall Street Journal: It could also be the death knell for another antiquated practice, the pilot season: "Beginning each January, the networks approve production of more than 60 pilot versions of TV shows, which are cast and produced in a matter of weeks so they can be ready in May, in time to be considered for the networks' fall seasons. The pilots can cost several millions of dollars apiece to make, and many never see the light of day.". □

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