“Content is King”: The Power of Words on Strike

"CONTENT IS KING" ...this phrase became the entertainment industry mantra in the 1980s and ‘90s as broadcast and cable television began to offer the vast selection of programming provided to audiences today.

And who has been responsible for the glorious explosion of new shows, and a multitude of productions? The writers AND the “suits,” working together to build creative business models that fostered the most dynamic entertainment industry in the world.

Together, the creative-minded and business-minded people in our industry have generated entertainment that has been beamed to space and back, and enjoyed by millions and millions of viewers around the world. Our industry is a unique collaborative effort, sustaining jobs for artisans, crafts people, technicians, business professionals who expertly (each in their own way) wrap their skills, education and talents around the written words of writers...the same words that are judged and embraced by audiences around the world.Throughout our history, EIC has been graced with contributions from hundreds of talented people from all facets of the entertainment industry, including many talented writers.

It is not EIC's place in our industry to take sides on the strike, as we work with content that is produced by the collaboration of writers, directors, producers, executives, and everyone else that makes great entertainment happen.

It is, however, our place to encourage the reconciliation needed to continue to move our industry into the future.

It is our place to point out the fact that leaders on both sides of the strike can and will foster an equitable resolution.

And it is our place to maintain optimism that this fair resolution will be reached soon.

It is also our place to support everyone whose professional and personal lives are affected by the writers’ strike—which is to say, just about everyone in the business, and our loyal audiences whose lives are moved and sometimes improved by the content we create.

Words are waiting to be written, stories to be told. Deals are waiting to be made. Behind the stories and the deals are people who are waiting to get back to work.

That said, I have hope that this experience be a short passage to a stronger, more united and even more successful entertainment industry in which content remains king, and the people who create content can get back to the art of making a difference.

Brian