The WGA, SAG, IATSE, and DGA Must Do More

Last night after pressure from the broadcasters Nexstar and Sinclair, Disney and ABC made the decision to indefinitely pull Kimmel from the air following comments he made earlier in the week on his show. This marks the second action taken against a late night talk show host in the last year following CBS's termination of Colbert's contract at the end of its term next year.

What's notable about this is not that it happened, but the series of events that led up to it happening. Nexstar is actively trying to buy Tegna, another broadcast company which would require FCC approval. Not only would any such merger require approval just on its face but this one would specifically require rule changes regarding how many channels a broadcaster can operate in one market. For example, if I own and operate the CBS affiliate in a certain market, I can't also own and operate the NBC affiliate under existing FCC regulations.

The fact that this actions came hours after the FCC chairman said on a right-wing podcast that they may have to revisit ABC's broadcast licenses and the local broadcasters like Nexstar should preempt Kimmel's show until its brought in-line is what makes this all the worse. It also makes one wonder where does this end? If Law and Order runs an episode that's not 100% pro-police, do Sinclair and Nexstar preempt programming the following week? If Fox picks up a show Sinclair or Nexstar or the administration doesn't like, does that show get preempted?

To say this is existential to broadcast television is not an understatement. To that end, the WGA, SAG, DGA, and IATSE have to act beyond sending strongly worded letters. The WGA and SAG alone have immense power to disrupt the entertainment industry, as we saw by the duel strikes back in 2023, let alone IATSE's ability to disrupt all aspects of television and film production of any kind, including live sports, reality shows, and talk shows.

If there was ever a time to strike, this is the time to do it. Yes, the networks have an extraordinary amount of power but without the workers producing the shows for them or the viewers watching what they put out, they have nothing. The move is probably not to do a blanket, industry-wide strike but rather to target specifically Paramount and Disney productions to show that capitulation in advance has further repercussions.

IATSE, SAG, DGA, and WGA must remember one important thing: the c-suite execs don't actually create anything, they're gatekeepers who decide what gets made with their permission. Without people there to make stuff for them, they have nothing to broadcast on their channels.