Power on, writers

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has unveiled the "New Economic Partnership," an offer the Writers Guild cannot refuse.

Except that it has.

Major issues covered in the proposal involve streaming internet video and original online content, according to The Press Association.

Writers would like to be paid when network content appears online, in the same way they are compensated when content appears on TV.

Writers currently make no money from streaming shows that include advertising. This is because streaming shows, even with embedded ads, still fall under the jurisdiction of "promotional" material, and writers are typically not entitled to earnings gleaned from promotional footage.

The New Economic Partnership guarantees writers a fixed payment of less than $250 "for a year's reuse of an hour-long program" online, the Writers Guild reports.

For every 15 minutes of content made specifically for the 'net, studios are also offering a one-time script fee of $1,300.

The New Economic Partnership follows the formula used to issue writers compensation from DVD sales and downloaded shows from venues like iTunes. Writers receive between 4¢ and 6¢ per DVD sold, reports Ars Technica.

But perhaps perceiving that online content's future has more in common with the adoption of television, the Writers Guild has given the DVD-style package a cool reception.

The Guild wants an upward-ascending compensation package, observing writer compensation is expected to increase by only three percent a year for the next three years. Meanwhile, studio revenues may leapfrog 10 percent each year.

Talks are expected to continue on Tuesday. If an elegant solution isn't soon unearthed, the writers may strike on until January, leaving audiences in a wasteland of reruns, and advertisers demanding rebates at networks' doors.