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‘A fight can be worthwhile.’ What lessons WGA learned from its battle with agencies
The Industry Mar 01, 2021
David Goodman speaking at “The Orville” panel during 2019 Comic-Con International at San Diego Convention Center. (Amy Sussman / Getty Images)
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It seemed an improbable win. When thousands of writers fired their agents in 2019 in a protest against perceived conflicts of interest, the outcome was uncertain. But lawsuits, the pandemic and the possibility of a strike didn’t derail their campaign.
Last month, WME became the last major talent agency to sign a deal with the Writers Guild of America that restricts the agency’s ownership in related production businesses and bars the long-standing use of packaging fees — practices deemed to benefit agents at the expense of their writer clients.
The pact marked the end of a rancorous, nearly two-year fight that led to costly court fights and heightened tensions inside the union.
David Goodman, executive producer of Hulu’s “The Orville” — who ends his two-year term as president of WGA, West in September — believes the win has galvanized the membership as it faces an uncertain time in the streaming era.
The 58-year-old writer, best known for his work on “Family Guy” and “Futurama,” recently spoke with the Times by telephone from his Pacific Palisades, Calif., home office. He talked about the ramifications […]
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