美国国家公共电台 NPR--Strike looms as the contract between Hollywood writers and studios is set to expire

Strike looms¹ as the contract between Hollywood writers and studios is set to expire

Transcript²

The Writers Guild³ of America is preparing to go on strike for the first time in 16 years. Writers are demanding better pay for TV shows that appear on the biggest streaming platforms.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Tonight at midnight, the contract between the Hollywood writers and major studios will expire.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

They've been negotiating for a new three-year contract, but the Writers Guild of America say their members are prepared to go on strike if their demands aren't met.

FADEL: Joining us to talk about this is NPR's culture correspondent Mandalit del Barco, who's in Los Angeles.

Hi, Mandalit.

MANDALIT DEL BARCO, BYLINE⁴: Hi. Good morning.

FADEL: Good morning. So what are the writers asking for?

DEL BARCO: Well, you know, the last time the writers went on strike, it stopped Hollywood production for 100 days. And that was in 2007. Back then, they were asking for better compensation when their work went on DVDs and internet downloads like iTunes. Now this time, they're trying to anticipate new technology. They're concerned about the use of AI to create content. And one of the big demands is to get paid more when their work shows up on streamers like Netflix and Amazon.

I spoke⁵ to Brittani Nichols, who writes for the ABC show "Abbott Elementary," and she told me that, between seasons, she used to be able to live off residuals⁶ she got when the networks reaired an episode she wrote. She got half her original writing fee each time. But now when her episodes are sold to the streamers, she gets just 5.5% of her writing fee.

BRITTANI NICHOLS: You're getting checks for $3, $7, $10. It's not enough to put together any sort of consistent lifestyle. It can really be a real shock 'cause, you know, we get our residuals in these green envelopes. You get a green envelope; you're like, all right, here we go. Hopefully something good's in here. And then, sometimes, you just get a stack of checks for seven cents.

DEL BARCO: Seven whole cents, Leila.

FADEL: Oh, my gosh. So what are the working conditions like for these writers?

DEL BARCO: Well, you know, writers in Hollywood are basically gig workers with a union, and they also have to constantly look for their next job. The streaming studios are asking for series that last 8 to 10 episodes a season rather than 22 episodes they used to do on network TV, and that means less work and less money for the writers. You know, I talked to some writers, even those on hit shows, who say they're not living some kind of lavish⁷, Hollywood dream lifestyle. They're basically broke in between gigs. Here's Brittani Nichols again.

NICHOLS: Though I'm on a job that is pretty good right now, the next job that I have, it could be right back to a really sort of bad situation where I'm, again, struggling to pay rent. And that shouldn't be the case for someone who's, you know, going to be a decade into their career, who's worked for an Emmy-winning television show. I don't think anyone would look at my career and say, oh, that person still has to worry at this point. But that's just where things are right now.

DEL BARCO: You know, Leila, other TV writers told me that they're basically asked to work for free in what are called mini rooms, working alone on scripts that may or may not get greenlit. No guarantee they'll be picked up into the official writers room, even if the show does get picked up.

FADEL: Now, Mandalit, are the studios saying anything?

DEL BARCO: Well, the CEO of Netflix, Ted⁸ Sarandos, said that they need to prepare for the worst, in other words, a strike. He said streamers are stockpiling scripts. And Netflix, he says, has a large base of upcoming shows and films from around the world. Reality shows are being prepared, so those don't need any scriptwriters. And if there is a strike, one of the first places viewers might notice is on late-night TV shows, where the jokes are written that same day. Come tomorrow, writers might be on the picket⁹ lines.

FADEL: Mandalit del Barco, NPR's culture correspondent in Los Angeles.

Thanks so much.

DEL BARCO: Thanks, Leila.

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1 looms   

n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• All were busily engaged,men at their ploughs,women at their looms. 大家都很忙，男的耕田，女的织布。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The factory has twenty-five looms. 那家工厂有25台织布机。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 guild   

n.行会，同业公会，协会

参考例句：

• He used to be a member of the Writers' Guild of America.他曾是美国作家协会的一员。
• You had better incorporate the firm into your guild.你最好把这个公司并入你的行业协会。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 residuals   

剩余误差

参考例句：

• In some cases residuals from these arrivals will stack up to give nearly horizontal alignments. 在某些情况下，这些波至的残余会叠加在一起给出近于水平的同相轴。
• Strong oscillations can occur in the residuals as the number of terms is increased. 随着次数的增加，剩余时差会发生强烈的摆动。

7 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。

8 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

9 picket   

n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫

参考例句：

• They marched to the factory and formed a picket.他们向工厂前进,并组成了纠察队。
• Some of the union members did not want to picket.工会的一些会员不想担任罢工纠察员。