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I'm Too Busy Underestimating Your Resolve to Set Back Our Relationship

If you like television, and who among us doesn't, you might be interested in the escalating stand-off between the Writers Guild of America and the networks over "product integration." The guild alleges that certain networks pressure writers to cram mentions of products into scripts. Not only does this practice blur the line between advertising and content, it creates revenue for the networks that isn't covered by the labor agreements between networks and the creative guilds (writers, actors and directors).

Here's a bit of integration in action, as reported by Variety's Michael Learmonth today:

Fox's MyNetworkTV is trying to differentiate itself on Madison Avenue by offering sponsors opportunities that would send network writers and producers fleeing to the picket lines.

Net, which will air primetime strip soaps over 13-week "seasons," is positioning itself as a one-stop shop for product placements, which can be written into its English translations of telenovelas like "Table for Three" and "Fashion House."

Twentieth TV sales exec VP Bob Sessa showed sample clips for how products can play within the shows. "Please pass the Evian," said one actress in a restaurant scene. "That's a beautiful Cartier watch," said another.

I'm not sure I'd mind the above examples if the actresses then turned to the camera and winked with a CHA-CHING sound effect.

This week, the networks' trade group, the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, ran an open letter to the WGA in Variety. The tone is very ominous. It's the kind of note you expect to see composed of torn-out letters from magazines. (I guess in this case BusinessWeek and the Robb Report.)

Both sides are acting aggressive now to bolster their position for labor negotiations in 2007, when their existing agreement expires. Writers last went on strike in 1988. A lot has changed since then. A lot has changed since January. Were a strike to happen again, can anyone really say if the tv-watching audience would bother coming back?