‘Uncharted Waters’: Union Tells Hollywood Writers To Fire Their Agents
Writers Guild of America West President David Goodman speaks in Los Angeles at the 2019 union award ceremony. The WGA instructed is writers to fire their agents on Friday.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Thousands of Hollywood writers have been told by the Writers Guild of America to fire their agents — a drastic move that could impinge the production of new TV shows and films.
The abrupt directive on Friday followed a breakdown in negotiations over proposed changes to the agreement that has guided the basic business relationship between writers and agents for the past 43 years.
With talks stalled ahead of a midnight deadline, the WGA sent its 13,000 writers an email with instructions to notify their agents in writing that they cannot represent them until signing a new code of conduct.
“We know that, together, we are about to enter uncharted waters,” the message stated. “Life that deviates from the current system might be various degrees of disorienting. But it has become clear that a big change is necessary.”
It was a bold move for a group accustomed to writing its own scripts. “I guess the idea of taking on our agents is something people never thought we would do,” said David Goodman, the president of the Writers Guild of America West, in an interview with NPR.
“Studios and networks still need writers to do the work so until agents figure out that they need us more than we need them, we will carry this out,” said Goodman.
At the center of the conflict is a complaint among writers that their agents are not just drastically out-earning them, but preventing them from receiving better pay. The dispute threatens to hinder production at a time when the major broadcast networks are typically staffing up for their fall lineups. It could also lead to job losses in the industry.
“This whole fight is really about the fact that in a period of unprecedented profits and growth of our business … writers themselves are actually earning less,” said Goodman.
A main point of contention involves what are known as packaging fees, the money that agents get from a studio when they provide a roster of talent for a film or TV project. Traditionally, agents would earn a 10 percent commission for the work their clients receive from a studio. But with packaging fees, they are compensated by the studios directly. “They are not incentivized to increase the income of those writers,” Goodman said.
Writers are also protesting a shift in the business model in recent years at some of Hollywood’s largest talent agencies. Agents have increasingly entered the film and TV businesses as producers, and writers contend that such a dual-hat arrangement represents a conflict of interest.
Goodman said that in order to break the impasse, the industry needs to return “to the traditional agent-writer relationship” where an agent takes 10 percent of a writer’s income.
On Saturday, some writers posted images of the letters they had signed and sent to their agents, showing solidarity if not total support.
“I have an amazing agency that represents me,” screenwriter, actor and comedian Patton Oswalt said on Twitter. “But I have an even better guild which stands for me.”
“Dammit,” wrote David Simon, a Baltimore-based author and television writer best known for The Wire. “Just realized that the [agency agreement] midnight deadline is PST. So I have to stay up another three hours and one minute to send a pic of my naked a** to [the Creative Artists Agency].”
The Association of Talent Agents, which represents the agencies, has promised more transparency when agencies are involved in the production of a film or TV show. The association committed to reopening talks on the issue after two years if the Writers Guild determines that members aren’t benefiting.
The association also offered concessions leading up to Friday’s breakdown, including a chance to share 80 percent of “a percentage” of their profits when packaging fees for a television series are involved.
The guild said that based on the offer they received from agents, that “percentage” amounted to 0.8 percent of the money agents make from packaging fees.
ATA also said agencies would spend $6 million over six years to foster a more inclusive environment and insisted they “are, and always have been, on the side of the writer.”
In a statement, Karen Stuart, the executive director of the ATA, said Friday’s failure “was driven by the Guild’s predetermined course for chaos.” She said it would ultimately harm artists.
“The WGA is mandating a ‘Code of Conduct’ that will hurt all artists, delivering an especially painful blow to mid-level and emerging writers, while dictating how agencies of all sizes should function.”
Goodman said writers are already hurt. He called the proposal “a ridiculous offer given the fact that the writers are the reason that any television show succeeds.”
Until the impasse is solved, members of the guild have told writers they could turn to managers or lawyers to handle their business affairs.
Lawyers for the ATA threatened to sue the guild, contending that the union was violating California and New York licensing laws. As part of its argument, it said in a letter that the union “cannot ‘delegate’ authority it does not have.”
Friday’s breakdown in negotiations marked just the latest chapter in the Writers Guild’s longstanding aversion to packaging fees. Goodman said the union sought reforms as far back as the 1970s.
“People are saying this is an unprecedented move, but it isn’t in the sense that 43 years ago we tried to get rid of packaging and we failed and now it’s gotten much worse,” Goodman said.
Saturday Sports: NBA Playoffs, Baseball Season Begins
ESPN’s Howard Bryant talks with Scott Simon about the start of the NBA playoffs and some of the story lines from the early days of baseball season.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Politics, policies, yada, yada. Time for sports.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
SIMON: Two weeks into the baseball season, the standings look upside-down. And the NBA says so long to a couple of legends. Playoffs begin today with – what? – without LeBron. Howard Bryant of ESPN joins us. Hi, Howard.
HOWARD BRYANT, BYLINE: Good morning, Scott. How are you?
SIMON: I’m fine, thanks. But for the first time since 2005, LeBron James is not leading a team into the playoffs. Notice how I managed to make him the lead anyway?
BRYANT: He’s still the news. But the real news in the NBA, of course, is the same question we’ve been asking for about – what? – four years now.
SIMON: Yeah.
BRYANT: Can anybody beat the Golden State Warriors four times? I’m still unconvinced. I know that the Cleveland Cavaliers did it once, but I think the answer is no. I think they’re going to win their third straight championship. However, that does not mean that there’s not a lot of intrigue in here. I like the Milwaukee Bucks, as well. They had the best record in the NBA…
SIMON: Howard…
BRYANT: …Won 60 games.
SIMON: Howard…
BRYANT: Fear the deer.
SIMON: Fear the deer.
BRYANT: (Laughter) I knew that was coming.
SIMON: I love that. Yes, exactly.
BRYANT: We also want to know if the Boston Celtics can turn their disastrous season on – I mean, I know winning 49 games is not really disastrous, but still. They were supposed to be in Milwaukee, in the Warriors’ class, but they weren’t. I think it’s going to be interesting, also, to see what the Philadelphia 76ers do and also those Toronto Raptors, who were flustered by LeBron all those years. But now they’ve got Kawhi Leonard, and LeBron’s not here. So I think that the postseason’s going to be really interesting.
SIMON: Two great players and classy guys – Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat, Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks – have played their last game. How should we remember their careers?
BRYANT: Great, great players, and I think that this is – I’m an ’80s guy, of course. And I think when you look at the number of Hall of Famers that came out of that decade, I think that the numbers still show it was a pretty amazing decade. But this is a golden age, as well. I think that looking at Dirk and Dwyane Wade – met for a championship twice – in 2006, with the Heat winning that one, although I think Dallas should’ve won that one; and then, of course, in 2011 when – LeBron’s first year in Miami – Dallas winning that one when, of course, people thought Miami should’ve won that one.
So two phenomenal players – lovely that Dirk played 21 years with one team, which you don’t really see anymore. And I think that both of these guys are going to be remembered as the icons for their cities that they were – and also, Dirk, especially, in terms of growing the international game – coming in from Germany; changing the perception, in a lot of ways, of what European players could be; and also, really immersing himself in the culture in Dallas. He’s the greatest player they’ve had.
SIMON: Come into the studio this morning – Stu Rushfield, our technical director, has a scrap of west – wastepaper on our…
BRYANT: (Laughter).
SIMON: …On my reading stand showing the New York – and can’t – Mets – thought they played basketball – in first place. The Cubs – well, not doing well, although they beat the Angels last night. What’s going on? The standings seem upside-down.
BRYANT: Yeah, what’s up with your ball club, Scott Simon? The Cubs are a really interesting team because I think when they won it in 2016, I think people were expecting a long run of success. And now Joe Maddon didn’t get his extension, so you’re starting to wonder what is – what his future’s going to be.
I think when you’re looking at the Mets, obviously, they’re 9-4. They’re in first place and ahead of the Phillies by a game. I think the Red Sox, the defending world champions in the crazy American League East – there’s only one team in that division that has a winning record, and it is the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees don’t have any players right now.
I think it’s fascinating. It’s – and it’s good. This is one of the things that makes baseball different. It’s a sprint up – it’s not a sprint. It’s a marathon. It’s going to take a long time. You’re starting to wonder, do these teams have what it takes to just be there? Even at the All-Star break, what are they built for? But when you start the season, it is kind of interesting that the San Diego Padres are in first place. It’s not what we’re used to.
SIMON: Howard Bryant, thanks so much.
BRYANT: Thank you.
Copyright © 2019 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
Examining Sanders’ Medicare-For-All Proposal
Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for Kaiser Health News, describes the latest Medicare-for-all bill by Sen. Bernie Sanders and the options for single-payer coverage proposed by lawmakers.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Bernie Sanders has introduced a new version of his “Medicare for All” bill that was a cornerstone of his 2016 presidential campaign. He’s one of several Democratic candidates for president who support some form of national single-payer coverage. But is that easier said than done? Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for Kaiser Health News joins us. Julie, thanks for being with us.
JULIE ROVNER: Thanks for having me.
SIMON: And what’s Senator Sanders proposing this year?
ROVNER: Well, he’s proposing similar to what he’s been proposing since the 1990s, which is basically to make Medicare, the program that now serves 50-some million elderly and disabled Americans, available to everyone and basically get rid of private health insurance at the same time. So everyone would be on Medicare – might not be the same Medicare that we know now, but they would be on a federal government-run program called Medicare that would provide much more robust benefits than most people have now either on Medicare or on their private insurance.
SIMON: More robust benefits, but would that also mean more robust taxes?
ROVNER: Yes, it almost certainly would because there would be no more private health insurance premiums, according to the – at least the proposal that we have. People wouldn’t have to pay copays or coinsurance or deductibles or, you know, the money that now gets paid out of pocket. So taxes would presumably go up to make up for that.
SIMON: A lot of Democratic candidates are running on a policy of Medicare for All. What are some of the features of the plans that we might find worth knowing about?
ROVNER: Well, the Medicare for All plans would basically get rid of private insurance, and this is of some concern for those who are worried about the political prospects. There’s 150 million people who get their insurance from a family member’s employer. That would basically go away. The entire private insurance industry would go away.
There are some other proposals that would either maintain a role for private insurance – maybe they could cover some things. That’s how some countries do it. And then there are others that make the whole thing optional. The people who wanted to go into a public plan could go into a public plan, but those who wanted to keep their private coverage could do that. That’s one of the big debates that’s going to have to happen before anybody settles on any particular plan.
SIMON: And everybody seems to want to bring down health care costs, but there’s a big but, isn’t there?
ROVNER: There is a big but. You know, we are still a free country. If they bring them down too much, you might have providers who wouldn’t want to participate, or you might have hospitals closing their doors.
I mean, at some point, yes, health care is expensive. It doesn’t have to be as expensive as it is in the United States. We pay way more for things than other countries do, but there is going to be some kind of a limit on how low you can push those prices. But remember, however much you pay for the health care, that’s how much is going to have to be then raised in federal taxes to pay for this.
SIMON: Any chance of Republican support for any of these plans?
ROVNER: It seems highly unlikely, at least at this point. This is mostly a Democratic debate about, what do Democrats think the nation’s health care should look like in the coming years and probably decades? Republicans are still kind of figuring out exactly what they would like to propose. Everybody seems to support more coverage, and they know that the status quo isn’t working. People are paying too much, and even middle-class people often can’t afford their health care. But Republicans are – seem, at the moment, happy to call this socialism and leave it at that.
SIMON: If there is an overhaul of health care, but it’s not bipartisan, does that just mean that American health care is going to go back and forth, depending on which party’s in power?
ROVNER: Well, that is the big concern. And there are a lot of Republicans who are saying, you know, we really should work together. And there is some bipartisanship going on now on issues like prescription drug prices and surprise medical bills – that people get unexpected out-of-network bills. But even those are proving difficult to find bipartisan consensus on – at least enough consensus to pass a law. So I think both sides know it would be better if they got together. They just haven’t figured out how yet.
SIMON: Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for Kaiser Health News. Thanks so much.
ROVNER: Thank you.
Copyright © 2019 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
Dervish Finds New Ways To Celebrate Tradition With ‘The Great Irish Songbook’
Dervish’s latest album Irish Songbook is out now.
Colin Gillen/Courtesy of the artist
hide caption
toggle caption
Colin Gillen/Courtesy of the artist
For the past three decades, Dervish has been at the forefront of reinventing traditional Irish folk songs. The Sligo-based band is “breathing new life” into the beloved music of its homeland with The Great Irish Songbook, an album pulling from an eclectic range of genres and the voices of over a dozen featured artists.
Collaborators on the album include Steve Earle, David Gray and Rhiannon Giddens and this project encompasses everything from traditional dance music to love ballads, including a W.B. Yeats-penned serenade “Down by the Sally Gardens” and the classic “The Rocky Road to Dublin.”
The Great Irish Songbook is out now. Founding Dervish member Shane Mitchell and longtime vocalist Cathy Jordan spoke with NPR’s Scott Simon about the band’s unlikely beginnings, the soul of Irish music and the making of The Great Irish Songbook. Hear the radio version of their conversation in the audio link and read on for interview highlights.
Interview Highlights
On the origin of Dervish
Mitchell: We basically were a group of friends that were growing up together. We were asked to make a recording of local music one time and we had to come up with a title for the album pretty quickly. And we were just called The Boys of Sligo.
Jordan: I wrecked it. [Laughs] They couldn’t be The Boys of Sligo anymore!
It was about ’91 when when I joined. I was, at that time, making cakes and making pastries in County Longford and singing on the weekends. I had known the guys for quite some time and they decided that it was time to get a singer and I decided that I was fed up making cakes. I hitchhiked down to Sligo with my rucksack on my back and never came back.
On why the Irish excel at songs about heartbreak
Jordan: The heartbreak, I guess, comes in many forms. It can come in immigration, leaving loved ones behind, of course, the affairs of the heart. We have far more songs about love unrequited than songs with happy endings, which I found [out] one time when I was asked to sing as somebody’s wedding. They wanted a lovely traditional Irish ballad with a happy ending and I couldn’t find one. There’s usually somebody dead by the third verse and betrayed by the fourth or whatever. So, I’m not quite sure, there could be many reasons for it, but we have a few happy endings songs, you’ll be delighted to know on The Great Irish Songbook.
On how beloved Irish music is around the globe
Mitchell: We continue to be surprised by how loved Irish music is. I suppose when we started this project nearly two years ago, the idea was to try and find people who had a love for Irish music from different genres of music. We found a lot of closet Irish folk music fans. In fact, we have enough to make three albums, somebody said at one stage.
I am so proud of our music, that there’s so much love and people get emotionally attached to us. It’s a very positive genre of music and this was one of the reasons why we looked at this project. These are iconic songs that we all grew up with. You know, Irish pub music, people come together and it was a great sense of camaraderie when people would sing together. We just think that this was a great way to approach an album — breathe new life into these wonderful old songs.
