Since the WGA strike commenced on Monday and members of the union began to picket outside of studio lots on both sides of the coast, almost all the major media outlets have been reporting daily from the front lines. Many articles have mentioned the confused faces of some of the passersby, reporting that most people outside the media world knew little—if anything at all—as to why these folks were just so damn mad. It seems most people aren't aware of the terms the two parties are feuding over and can't imagine how any of it will affect their lives. The reality is however, this strike—and its presently bleak outlook—is something that should be paid attention to because it marks a significant turning point in the focus of media consumption, the greedy power of Corporate America and the future of digital entertainment.

In case you were one of those passersby, here is a short explanation: WGA writers and the AMPTP (which represents all the major studios and networks) are at odds against the idea of residual compensation to what is being referred to as "digital content." It's a blanket term to describe any and all future means of digital consumption, but can be seen right now through things like TV episodes that are streamed online and original content created for the web (such as The Office webisodes). Unlike shows that are broadcast on television or in syndication, these digital episodes are currently residual-free, allowing the studios keep all the profits garnered from advertisers without having to divvy up the shares to other participants. The writers—citing these growing online trends—are demanding that they receive at least a share of these profits. The studios, however, are saying that because the online video technology is so new, they need more time to figure out if they are actually making any money off it.

Whatever side you're on, that fact that the strike is not going away cannot be ignored. Ever since the talks broke down two weeks ago, neither side has made the move to return to the bargaining table and both sides are indicating that they are in it for the long-haul.

When the last strike occurred in 1988 (and lasted for five months), the entertainment landscape was much different: cable TV was in its infancy, VHS was only beginning to bloom. In addition, the big studios were not what they are today. Since then, each of the major studios have been acquired by larger, (behemoth, really) media and non-media related companies that have not only massive amounts of money and resources, but also shareholders to whom they must report. And so, with their own stock prices at risk, and because they have back-up resources such as the scripts they stockpiled in anticipation, the unregulated, un-unionized market of unscripted TV, and episodes of most of their major shows available for viewing online (and residual-free, natch), they see little motivation to make any concessions. The president of the AMPTP even opined that the unions would be willing to hold out until SAG begins negotiations on their new contract this summer—implying that the studios have the will and resources to wait that long. Meanwhile, you, the erstwhile viewer, have other ways of getting your fix, whether it's TiVo, Netflix, Xbox, or MySpace. With your favorite scripted shows off the schedule for a couple of months, why, you may even forget after awhile that you even watched broadcast TV and may never come back.

But, perhaps you don't care about the fact that after only a week, thousands of people are out of jobs, and even more will follow; that production on almost every major television show has ceased, and that, in their place, we will be getting an onslaught of lame, hastily put together reality shows that will be bloated beyond what even the most brain-dead person could tolerate; or that you can forget about next year's new shows, because there likely will not be any. Perhaps you don't watch television, you're not invested in any entertainment media stock, or believe in the adage "Kill your television."

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