I do think public opinion, public support, matters hugely. I don't know that there's been a successful strike in practically ever where it didn't matter.

I may have already asked this, but is there an organized letter-writing campaign under way? To specific studio heads or network heads or big advertisers? I wrote a shitload of letters during the actors' strike and I was shocked at how many at least semi-personal responses I got, especially from advertisers, full of "The issues are of course very complex" weasel-words but with an undertone of real worry that they were getting flak not just from the strikers but from fans, that their public images were being tarnished by their unwillingness to back down.

I know there's a postcard drive being run by someone (which I stupidly failed to bookmark), but IME actual letters get a better response. I'd be happy to start cranking them out again if I knew where they should go.

Heh. We should have Buffistas.org letterhead for our many angry letters. But, we'd have to vote.

Victor, anecdotally I'm looking at the TVGuide letters and "trolls" at the UH site and Nikki Finke's blog. I don't think all of the naysayers are "trolls." I think some are honest dissent.

I've spoken to more than a few folks, and have overheard quite a few conversations in airports that pretty much reduce the issue to the following, "I went to watch my TV and the show I want to watch isn't airing a new episode because of the god damned writers."

Yeah, I wrote before how I told somebody about BSG suspending production, and their response was "Fuck the writers". To which I had the discussion about, you know, no writers, no show. They weren't interested; they just wanted their entertainment back.

The names and addresses of studio heads are online, if anybody wants to write letters. I don't know if anybody collated the advertisers or not. I know there's also phone numbers for pretty much every studio head online, to the point where they've had to start changing the phone numbers and hiring extra staff to filter calls.

Personally, I still believe the public support is generally in the way of the writers - but I'm not convinced it really matters either way.

Oh! ita!

Has anyone mentioned this prize in the pencil drawing?

For EUREKA fans: One supportive fan will receive a phone call from Colin Ferguson (Sheriff Jack Carter) and co-creator Jaime Paglia, personally thanking them for their support. Make sure you list Eureka as the show you are supporting when you click on the icon.

Has anyone mentioned this prize in the pencil drawing?

Think I should support this way? I totally want...well, not that Jaime guy. He could be an ax murderer.

I think good PR is helpful but I don't know, at the end of the day, how much of a difference it makes in getting a deal. I think there are other, more important factors pressuring the AMPTP members. (For example, the rumors about the advertising snafu an extended strike will cause them.)

I've been pleasantly surprised by how many people seem to be on our side. Because I don't expect the average person earning an average wage to care if Akiva Goldsman gets internet residuals on top of his $4M fee. They just want to come home, turn on the TV and be entertained. It's okay if they don't care how that entertainment got made.

So public opinion has been in our favor but that I suspect that won't last forever. I do wish we would stop staying stupid things and be more understanding of the situation BTL workers now find themselves in. As the strike continues, I see that coming back to bite us in the ass.

Advertisers seem to be the way to hit the studios. I just think it would be way too difficult to do something like start a letter writing campaign against any advertisers that use the slots during re-runs or non-scripted replacement shows that the networks try to use. If there is some way to get the advertisers to pull out then the networks lose their revenue stream. That's the way to get them to cave quickly.

Perhaps organize a campaign to boycott anyone that advertises during the Superbowl if the networks don't bargain with the writers. That would hit at least one network squarely in the pocketbook.

The thing that always got me is that I rarely actually buy the products that are advertised on primetime network TV.

"Hey Nissan! Pressure the studios to end the writer's strike, or I'll... continue to fast forward through your commercials."