From One WGA Member to Another - Why World Wide Pants is Good for All

In her story on the Worldwide Pants deal, Nikki Finke quotes an angry
feature writer who wants to go back to work now that a handful of TV
writers are going to get paid. I wanted to respond to his anger
because I believe this person is dead wrong in his objections to the
deal. Among other things, he claims that NBC/Uni's addition to the
GE balance sheet is a "rounding error."

As someone who worked on Wall Street before becoming a writer, I can
assure you that statement is nonsense. The Jay Leno show alone is a
guaranteed $50 million in profits. GE owns NBC/Uni for one reason
and one reason only: to make a ton of money. NEVER to lose money.
That's why Zucker fired Kevin Reilly in May. Somebody had to take
the fall for the network's performance, and Zucker, the
quintessential Peter Principle exec, made sure it wasn't himself.
But now there's nobody else to blame, and the $50 million from Leno
is getting flushed down the toilet. The Worldwide Pants deal just
turned up the burner under Zucker.

Just as important, ALL of GE's divisions are expected to make their
own profits and take care of themselves. A good year in one division
does not in any way "offset" a bad year in another division.
Divisions do not pick up the slack for one another, or prop each
other up. In fact, it is just the opposite -- they are rivals with
one another. That was Jack Welch's way of doing business, and it is
Immelt's as well. All this talk of deep pockets at GE helping NBC is
flat wrong. Anyone who says that would flunk out of the first
semester at business school.

And here's another thought for that feature writer: calm down and
look at the big picture. This deal is only the first domino to
fall. Next week the Guild might make a deal with a company like
Lionsgate, and then you and ten other feature writers can go back to
work. And you know something? The rest of us will be happy for you,
because we know our leadership just took a step closer to getting us
ALL back to work with a good deal.

Sincerely,

Red Sox Fan