SAG-AFTRA, the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, is a merged union representing around 160,000 professionals, including actors, journalists, announcers, singers, models, hosts, stunt performers, and others all around the world. Its headquarters are in Los Angeles, California. The union was established 11 years ago on March 30, 2012, and it plays a major role in negotiating collective agreements, representing studios, production companies, and streaming services.
These agreements cover crucial aspects like working conditions, compensation, and residuals. SAG-AFTRA is a member of many popular labor organizations in the United States, including the AFL–CIO and the International Federation of Actors (FIA). Its first president was Ken Howard, and the current president is Fran Drescher. The association’s current National Executive Director is Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.
Also Read: Hollywood Faces Simultaneous Strikes as SAG-AFTRA Joins the Writer’s Guild
Fox Entertainment and its History
Fox Entertainment, was formed in 2019 following Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox assets: a prominent player in the television industry. It creates content for Fox Broadcasting Company, MyNetworkTV, and Tubi, with Fox First Run handling syndication and television distribution. Over the years, Fox Entertainment has spread and extended its portfolio, acquiring Bento Box Entertainment, partnering with Caffeine for the AniDom Beyond Show, and making strategic moves like forming Studio Ramsay Global with Gordon Ramsay.
Notably, it acquired TMZ from WarnerMedia, signed creative talent like Wonwoo Park, and acquired MarVista Entertainment to bolster its Tubi offerings. In 2022, Fox Entertainment got the rights to the Gumby franchise. Over some time, the launch of Fox Entertainment Studios in 2022, marked their investments into in-house television production and the launch of Fox Entertainment Global for international distribution.
Their commitment to evolving in the industry continued in 2023 with a multi-year deal with Hulu and a focus on TV production in Ireland, solidifying its status of being the major player in the global entertainment landscape.
Scripted TV Season Hangs in the Balance
Fox President Michael Thorn insists that the ongoing strikes led by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) must be resolved by October 1st to salvage the scripted primetime TV season for 2023-24. Thorn showed his concerns that scheduling challenges will arise if the strikes continue beyond this deadline.
FOX Entertainment is a prominent player in the entertainment industry. It oversees scripted programming, development, and casting for the FOX Company, managing a portfolio of successful series and upcoming projects. FOX Entertainment is known for its iconic animated hits and a history of developing acclaimed shows.
Fox President Sets Deadline for Strike Resolution
The WGA has responded to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) with a counteroffer, but no new meetings have been scheduled. Progress is even slower on the SAG-AFTRA front. Once the strikes are all calmed down, scripted shows will take approximately eight weeks to resume production.
Scheduling Dilemma: Strikes’ Impact on TV Season”
Thorn highlighted the difficulty of launching scripted shows in the traditional fall TV viewing season if the strikes persist. He mentioned that if the strikes are not resolved by October 1st, they should be thinking about scheduling options, including a summer release or leveraging sports events like football to promote and launch new seasons.
Fox’s current fall TV lineup primarily consists of unscripted content, like cooking competitions, reality series, and reruns of shows like 9-1-1: Lone Star. Thorn assured that when scripted shows return, they will receive full support from the company.
Fox Boss’s Warning: Strikes Jeopardize TV Schedule
The impact of these strikes has already been felt by long-running shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “9-1-1,” and “9-1-1: Lone Star.” Thorn emphasized the need for studios and unions to calm down and try to come with a peace note to the negotiation table. Failure to do so could lead to further delays and negatively affect different jobs across the industry.
The pressing deadline of October 1st reminds the unions and studios that negotiations must resume soon to not bring any disruptions to the scripted TV season, impacting not only actors and writers but the entire production ecosystem.
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