Hollywood Studios Release Details of New Proposal to Striking Writers 

SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line during their ongoing strike outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, US, August 22, 2023. (Reuters)
SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line during their ongoing strike outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, US, August 22, 2023. (Reuters)
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Hollywood Studios Release Details of New Proposal to Striking Writers 

SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line during their ongoing strike outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, US, August 22, 2023. (Reuters)
SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line during their ongoing strike outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, US, August 22, 2023. (Reuters)

Hollywood studios and streaming services on Tuesday released the terms of a revised proposal to writers in a bid to end one of two strikes that have halted production and cost the California economy billions of dollars.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which negotiates on behalf of companies including Walt Disney and Netflix, changed its offer to include new details about critical issues like compensation, minimum staffing, residual payments and curbs on artificial intelligence.

According to the latest proposal, the Writers' Guild of America (WGA) will get a compounded 13% pay increase over the three-year contract, and AI-generated written content will not be considered "literary material".

The streaming platforms also offered to provide the WGA with the total number of hours viewed for each made-for-streaming show in confidential quarterly reports.

"We have come to the table with an offer that meets the priority concerns the writers have expressed. We are deeply committed to ending the strike and are hopeful that the WGA will work toward the same resolution," AMPTP President Carol Lombardini said in a statement.

A WGA spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The WGA, which represents around 11,500 film and television writers, walked off the job on May 2 after negotiations reached an impasse over compensation, minimum staffing of writers' rooms and residual payments in the streaming era, among other issues.

They were joined on the picket lines on July 14 by members of the Screen Actors Guild, effectively halting much of US film and scripted television production.



Coldplay Ticket Scalping Fiasco Sparks Backlash in India

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 21: Chris Martin of Coldplay performs onstage during the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena on September 21, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Bryan Steffy/Getty Images/AFP
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 21: Chris Martin of Coldplay performs onstage during the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena on September 21, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bryan Steffy/Getty Images/AFP
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Coldplay Ticket Scalping Fiasco Sparks Backlash in India

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 21: Chris Martin of Coldplay performs onstage during the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena on September 21, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Bryan Steffy/Getty Images/AFP
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 21: Chris Martin of Coldplay performs onstage during the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena on September 21, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bryan Steffy/Getty Images/AFP

British rock band Coldplay's upcoming tour of India has triggered a police investigation and dismayed fans after scalpers bought up cheap tickets to resell online for more than $1,000 apiece.

Thousands of music fans tried and failed to buy tickets for three concerts scheduled in financial hub Mumbai next January, sold by popular Indian online ticket portal BookMyShow, AFP reported.

All three shows sold out in minutes, and those who missed out were infuriated when they saw $70 (6,000-rupee) tickets appear on resale websites at vastly inflated prices.

"The tickets are being sold at 10 times, 20 times, 30 times the price that is being sold on the website itself," student Anna Abraham, 19, told AFP.

"I wouldn't feel good about it myself if I knew that I paid for something 30 times more than what I could have paid for."

Local media reports said BookMyShow's chief operating officer was questioned by police Monday after a complaint brought by Mumbai lawyer Amit Vyas, who claimed the vendor was working with "black marketeers" to make an extra windfall on ticket sales.

"I checked with nearly 100 people who I know are regulars at concerts, none of them had gotten a ticket," Vyas said, according to the Indian Express newspaper.

"This made me suspicious. I then decided to approach the police as I knew that something was amiss."

BookMyShow issued a statement after the public backlash began last week, saying it had "no association" with unauthorized ticket selling.

"Scalping and black marketing of tickets is strictly condemned and punishable by law in India and BookMyShow vehemently opposes this practice," the company said.

Controversies surrounding tickets for major international musical or sporting events are not new.

US megastar Taylor Swift lashed out at Ticketmaster in 2022 following fan anger over sales to concerts staged for her globe-spanning 'The Eras Tour'.

The debacle sparked debate over the Ticketmaster´s privileged position in the industry amid fan complaints of hidden fees, rampant ticket scalping and limited tickets due to presales.