Criminal Minds: What do you think of holding a "Turn Off Your TV Day"? The fans of Criminal Minds are already doing quite a bit to help during the writers strike but I was trying to think of other ways we could help. I thought maybe all tv viewers and not only fans of Criminal Minds could come together and not turn on their television sets on the same day. Showrunners could get the word out to their fans and we could all send the same message to the networks that not only is there solidarity within the WGA but also with all fans of tv. What do you think of this idea? Do you have any suggestions on other ways we can help?
64 comments:
I would do it if it would really help but how would the word be spread?
My family is in if it happens!
I'd do it.
I think what is being done is great. I would like to hear Ed's take on the latest round of offers. There is alot of confusing press on the latest offer and I do not understand it.
I'm glad I'm not the only person confused.
Can you please explain, or get someone, this new offer?
The latest offer from the AMPTP is basically a giant rollback. This means that it in fact pays the writers less money and offers less health and pension benefits to them in the new contract than they currently recieve. Why would the AMPTP do this? Because their strategy has been to try to starve the writers out in a war of attrition. They leaked the fact that a "new great genorous offer" was forthcoming and then tossed the WGA a low ball offer. They will do the same thing early next week when the "other half" of the offer comes in. This tactic is common in and is designed to demoralize the union until it loses confidence in the leadership negtiating on their behalf. It is also designed to instill fear that the strike will drag on and on and never make any gains. This will eventually splinter the guild causing more and more members as they go bankrupt to to beg the WGA negotiating comitee to make a deal... any deal. The corporations think that they can push the writers around and screw over the fans. And that is exactly what they are will do if we let them.
Finally an explanation I can understand. Thanks. I was confused as everyone. I look at the link on the blog and the reporter was so happy yesterday morning and then everything got confusing.
I will do the no tv idea and what about doing a mass email instead of all doing separate ones. Like a chain email then ends up being sent to cbs. Would that be any good?
Got it! Wow! One month of striking to make less money. That sucks big time.
I like the chain letter idea but lets do it to the advertisers also.
There would have to be massive awareness of the event so people would know about it and that takes lots of work. We would need massive amounts of help and I am not sure that type of publicity is available to us.
I don't want to sound critical but the news coverage of this strike is terrible. I read MSN news every morning and the strike is barely covered.
Thank you anonymous for the post. It sounds like a real crap deal to me.
A blackout sounds good but I agree that enourmous publicity would be needed.
I like the chain letter idea.
I'm still calling cbs everyday.
I think the buy a pencil idea is terrible. If my company received a pallet of pencils they would just truck them over to Goodwill and get a tax credit for them
I think keeping up the pressure on the networks is our best bet. I call all the time and not just cbs.
I bought some of the pencils but I was thinking the same thing about the whole idea. I just wanted to show my support to the site that was organizing it.
I think all the ideas presented are great but I also think that the longer the strike continues the easier it becomes for some viewers to lose interest in the whole thing. How does the WGA keep viewers connected to the strike efforts? I'm not sure. I will try to double my email efforts.
Calling
Emailing
Not watching repeats
Not watching reality
Not watching news shows
I think we stick to this and support any ideas that the union comes up with. Ed could convince the CM fans to go black on a tv day but could the other producers convince their fans to do it to? I'm not sure.
The media coverage? Who do you think the writer's are negotiating against? CNBC...MSNBC... that's NBC! That means NBC Universal... CNN... that's TIME WARNER... as in AOL TIME WARNER. That means Time Magazine. That means AOL news. That means Warner Brothers. I won't even begin with Fox. I hope you all are starting to realize the enormity of who and what the WGA is up against. As for Variety and Hollywood Reporter... they are dependent on the AMPTP for ALL OF THEIR ADVERTISING REVENUE. They are basically owned and operated by the AMPTP.
You want to know why you and everyone else trying to understand this offer is confused? Because aside from Nikki Finke (who was played by the AMPTP like a fiddle) there is no source for honest reporting on this issue. Chilling isn't it.
a rather silly idea that one,a better one would be to email their local news station, papers and maybe their local rep in congress etc
I read Nikki Finke and United Hollywood and both are doing a great job. It is discouraging for me that after calling everyday for this long the offer that was made was so terrible. My question is whether what we are doing is even making a difference. I call for not only Criminal Minds but for Law and Order which I love too.
Turning off the tvs in my home is okay with me if Ed Bernero thinks that will send a message anyone will listen to. Would Dick Wolf ask the fans of his three shows to do this? If he did they would follow suit.
This new offensive offer should be used to re-energize the fans in executing the fan strike plan. The advertisers are the only people who can force and end to the strike. The AMPTP cares about one thing and one thing only... CASH! MONEY! DOLLARS! That's all they know, care about, or understand. Call the advertisers. Call the Networks. Show them that neither the writers nor the fans will be discouraged or defeated by their petty negotiating mind games. We must double our efforts. Save the writers. Save the season. Save the CM!
Can fans get picket signs to picket their local tv stations?
All the college kids are coming home in a few weeks for X-mas break. Lets get them to picket the local stations. I love that idea! They are the demo pool the networks want. Then we can take pics of it and post them here and everywhere or maybe send the pics to the networks.
We can make our own signs.
J,
Maybe you should reconsider your no comment.
I think it would help.
Dina
Off the topic I know but is Stacy doing caps this week?
I just called cbs again. I called nbc earlier today. I'll keep calling.
Since we aren't supposed to ask the writers in chat anything about the strike does anyone know how they are handling all of this? They must be very disappointed which really makes me mad. I will continue to follow the original strike plan until it is revised with new things we can do.
I would picket but I think we should have an okay from the writers' union first. We don't want to do anything counter to their wishes or best interests.
I think the tv black out is a great idea. We should do it for each network specifically on the days their top rated show is on. Like we would black out CBS on Thursday night
because that's when CSI Las Vegas is on. I think that's still CBS's top rated show. We would do this with the other networks as well. If they find that America is refusing to watch ever their "best" stuff because of the strike, they may listen even more. I don't know just an idea.
I like Angel's idea of targeting each networks busiest night.
I'm ready to do anything at this point. Most of my favs are starting reruns too and the strike has to end soon or this season was a waste.
If I were the wga I would tell them to take their offer and stick it where the sun doesn't rise and I would keep walking.
Chilling to read that every news outlook is owned by a network.
I am sticking to the strike plan.
The new proposal is insulting to the writers. I know that there has to be some give and take but this is all take.
Whatever we need to do then we need to do! I'm in totally.
Attention all SAG Actors:
I believe it's appropriate at this time to call all actors into action in support of the Writer's Guild on strike.
I know many of us have been walking the picket lines and attending the rallies, but I want to challenge ALL SAG members to see if they can commit an HOUR-A-DAY to walking the picket lines.
The AMPTP has been jerking the Writer's Guild around.
1. They offered nothing but insulting Roll-Backs to the WGA in the negotiations that caused the strike.
2. They have planted "trolls" to post on the industry internet sites(corporate-paid people who troll the internet for places to pretend they are writers, crew members, and fans and post AMPTP propaganda).
3. They called WGA back to the table on Monday with no intention of settling as they AGAIN presented that rejected Roll-Back proposal. Their purpose in getting in the room again looks only like a weak PR move to get the public and the fans to change their tunes about calling a Christmas Boycott of DVD and downloads. I believe the fans will NOT call those Boycotts off now.
4. They tried to discredit Nikki Finke and deadlinehollywooddaily.com by planting mis-information about this weeks talks in an attempt to crush the spirits of the writers.
Ultimately, this is OUR strike. If the WGA had not called this strike, we would all be participating in MASSIVE stockpiling. Then, in June when our contract expires, the AMPTP would have offered US the no-gains-play-your-work-for-free-and-how-bout-some-rollbacks offer we're now familiar with.
And SAG would have to go on strike, but because of the stockpiling, we would have NO leverage. The AMPTP would have said to us, "Strike all you want. We have enough material stockpiled for 6 moths, maybe more."
And we would have been on strike for months and months and months.
So I urge you, get out there on the lines. Go to www.wga.org and look at the list of picketing locations. There's a studio near you. Pick a gate, become their SAG mascot. Maybe there's a studio that is on the way to a meeting or near the school you drop your kids off at or on the way to where you need to run errands. Just park the car and pick up a picket sign for an HOUR-A-DAY.
These guys need us. We're 120,000 strong. Let's get out there and let them know we're WITH them.
Let them know we are Fighting For The Future, too.
Here are some links. Send any videos you think are important to your friends and family.
www.unitedhollywood.com
www.speechlesswithoutwriters.com
www.wga.org
www.sag.org
Best,
Justine Bateman
SAG Member
Marina
Yes, I will be doing caps for Dark Night but it'll probably be tomorrow before they're up. I've been running a bookfair at work and haven't had time to do them (13 hour days will do that to you!).
Please remember that the strikers move around from place to place. Email me if you want their current location.
I think that sticking with our original plan is going to work. I am sure that the advertisers are already worried by all the calls and emails.
The newest offer could not suck more if they had tried and I read that they are using a cigarette company pr firm.
Lovely! Next they will want to pay the writers with cartons of Marlboros.
I am ready to turn my tv off anytime! I don't want to keep feeding these mongrels.
Sticking w/ the fan plan until it is updated.
What does the WGA want us to do. We are one of their biggest resources and I'd like to hear something from them directed to fans.
I'm also just sticking with the plan. It's gonna work but I'll turn off the set if that is going to really do any good. No problems with me on doing it.
Why would they use the firms the tobacco companies use? Talk about negative feelings. Using big tobacco's companies! I think this is beyond absurd.
The writers deserve to be fairly paid. How much money does the head of CBS make a year? Anyone know?
I agree with Justine Bateman. I am not a SAG actor YET, but I am eligible to join and was hoping to join really soon. The writers are not only fighting their battle right now, they're fighting the actor's battle too. SAG's contract is up in June, and depending on what the outcome of this strike is, will play a major factor in what will happen when SAG's contract ends.
The writers have my support as long as this thing goes on. Let's keep it up.
The AMPTP has been jerking the Writer's Guild around this has to stop. We need to rachet up our efforts and not give up.
Obviously the AMPTP is lowballing the WGA with this offer but do we have any concrete reason to believe that they won't make a financially more equitable offer when they meet again on Tuesday?
I will participate in anything you all decide to recommend. I am not thrilled with the prospect of this season being over and that does seem to be where we are heading.
I like the tvs off idea!
The WGA needs to hold out for a good deal. They caved during their last long strike. It is time for the network corporations to realize that this is a new world with not only new technology but with consumers that are watching every move that they make.
I did the pencils but I would rather have spent the money on a picket sign. I never thought of it but picketing the local network affiliates is a wonderful idea.
I'm open to all suggestions like everyone else has said but I would like the WGA to address the fans and tell us how they want us to help them.
I have to agree with what someone else said earlier I didn't like the pencil idea much either. I doubt the studios would even donate them....I can almost hear the thousands of pencils be thrown in some landfill in the middle of Nevada. I think a TV black out is an excellent idea. Though I think for it to be really effective it needs to be for a week at least...and include everything but public boardcasting. The studios will need see a sereve drop in ratings all across the board. Movies as well, a decline in ticket sales will also be heard. Otherwise the studios will still be making their money on the other shows we or from viewers going to other network.
If you need ways to get people to know about this I would suggest social networking sites. Though I don't know how effective that will be.
THe calling and emailing campaign is probably one of the best things we can do. Though it's really hard to boycott these people, I tried it last year with just one network, it's sad and mind numbing on how much that is owned but such a small number of companies.
No problem with me keeping the TV off, 24/7 if necessary(Except Wed.9-10pm). Just signal the troops!!
No downloads, no reality and the phone calls are already being done in our home so I have no problem with not watching tv but I am assuming you don't mean to also not watch CM. Or do you mean all tv?
Up until the strike I used to watch whole episodes online without watching them on tv. Would the writers get paid for this under the new proposal? It sounds like they won't unless I watched it two weeks after it aired but by then the episode would be gone and replaced by a newer episode. So how would the writers ever get paid?
Also, I have a special ringtone on my cell. How are they going to get paid from that? Also, what would they get paid for everytime I go to Youtube and watch one that the network itself has downloaded?
It sounds like they would be jerked on all the above so count me in!
i would also like to known what ed thinks on this latest rounds.
I'm not happy with the confusion on some of the other groups. They seem to be running around like chickens without their heads on. Why don't they just use this strike plan? Can we have permission to email the plan to them?
We need to just keep doing everything we have been doing and also stay current on the latest news.
Blaire,
Some of the fandoms I belong to are very organized and some are horrible. I agree. They are buying this and sending that but not taking a minute to think about what it will take to end the strike which imho is attacking the endorsers with emails and boycotts. I call CBS but I also call the other networks and I think that should never stop. I also think we should do a blackout. I like the message that sends!
I looked at the dollar breakdown on United Hollywood but had to read it twice. I was sure I had read it wrong the first time. What a bad offer!
I vote for a total unplug the tv blackout!!!!
Wakeup, turn on the coffee, take a shower, make a couple of calls to the network while drinking my coffee, wake the husband and kids up, yell a little bit as them to hurry up, make breakfast while calling some more networks, kiss husband goodbye, drive kids to school, drive to the mall, make more phone calls while walking into the mall, shopping, drive home, send some emails, meet friends for lunch, make calls at lunch and dial for all my friends so they can bitch at the networks too, finish eating, back home, clean the house, pickup kids, make some calls, help kids with homework, kiss hubby, feed them dinner, send some emails, put kids to bed and then grab a book and go to bed. This is what I did yesterday. I did almost the same thing today and I will again every day until the strike is over.
Even the f-in CBS website has freakin ads!!!!!! They are all about the money. Lets take their money away. I wish someone would start an independent network. I'd watch it.
I'm up for a blackout, but I'm also in favor of doing it on that network's busiest night. It would send a great message to them, but would also allow for us to boost the ratings of other lesser known shows that would likely get canceled at the end of this.
I agree with ap and others that the blackout should hit each network on their busiest night.
Better yet..a whole week with no tv.
I think we should go black for a week and let the networks choke!
Ditto. My boyfriend will be crazy without sports but life is rough in the real world and he'll have to put his big boy pants on and suck it up!
If we turn the tv off then we should strike that day as well at the local stations. The signs could read something like "My Tv Is Unplugged" or something better than that.
Morgan! Offer him so ___ instead of the sports and he'll unplug the tv himself!
I'm in!
The last time I looked stock prices were already falling for the companies that own networks. Maybe that could be put on a sign. I want to picket! I'm pissed! I have two shows that I like and both are having reruns this coming week. I won't watch reruns. I refuse.
For Disney $6.25 million. Paramount and CBS would each pay about $4.66 million!
I can't believe CBS is dicking over 4.66 million.
Jay Leno needs to be bitch slapped!
Unplugging the tv? Okie Dokie!
I bet that sounds like lots of money and it is but if you divide that by every writer that writes anything for cbs it is nothing. I bet California has lost that much in revenue already from the strike.
Picketing the local stations sounds like a winner to me. I could bring my teenagers. They are pretty pissy about not being able to watch Survivor and the Amazing Race. Also, they are pretty upset that the Itunes account has been closed.
Lets stick with the original plan and add striking to it. We can always add more if we need to.
Vera,
What did Jay Leno do that he needs to be B-slapped? I must have missed it.
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