This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Is Hollywood's loss the Web's gain?
With Hollywood writers striking this week after talks failed to produce a new contract with producers, the Internet would seem poised to fill the entertainment void. While talk shows like ''The Late Show with David Letterman'' and ''The Daily Show'' go to repeats, the Web auteurs of YouTube, FunnyOrDie.com and other sites merrily chug along.
Writing on the blog Techcrunch, Duncan Riley stated: ''The trends in viewer numbers have all been headed online to this point, this strike could well accelerate this trend, particularly if it lasts over the long term. It will be a chance for millions online to bloom.''
This is exactly what the strike is about. The Writers Guild of America wants a percentage of the revenue generated online from writers' work, but the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers claims it's too early to know how the TV and film industries will substantially capitalize from online platforms.
The irony is that people are speculating that the Web stands to benefit the most while writers are on strike, which makes the studios' claims comical to some.
''So we won't be here, but while we're not here, you can check out all of our content on our new Web site, the DailyShow.com,'' Jon Stewart said wryly on ''The Daily Show'' on Thursday. ''Every 'Daily Show' since I got here is on it, free, except for the advertising. So support our advertisers.''
The Web sites for Comedy Central's ''The Daily Show'' and ''The Colbert Report'' are practically exhibits A and B for the WGA. Just last month, Comedy Central unveiled DailyShow.com, boasting some 13,000 videos with clips from every episode since Stewart became host. The page for ''The Colbert Report'' on ComedyCentral.com is similarly stocked with material.
But will people really turn off a rerun of ''The Daily Show'' and go watch video online instead? Isn't it just as possible that viewers will tune into some of those things they forgot were on TV - like the nightly news or NBA basketball?
Though the impact of the strike may not immediately change viewing patterns much, a prolonged strike offers more of a chance for the Web to attract viewers' attention.
The possibility of a long standoff seems very real. ''We're hunkered down for a long one,'' said Nick Counter, chief negotiator for the producers union.
If prime-time sitcoms and dramas fall into repeats, that's when the Web will have a window.
But the entertainment of the Internet isn't ready yet for anything like a prime-time spotlight. One of the video sites offering the most substantial content is the recently launched Hulu.com, a joint venture by Fox (News Corp.) and NBC (NBC Universal) that hosts full-length shows from their networks and others.
Of course, Hulu is only one more good example of how the networks are looking for revenue online. And its content, like the network broadcasts, will be stuck in reruns throughout the strike.
With few exceptions, the most popular online content has been things like ''Saturday Night Live'' clips and Will Ferrell videos. During the strike, crossover success for anyone not already widely familiar to the public will be difficult. The amateurs of the Web would have to seriously up their game, so to speak.
That there's even a chance of the Web stepping into TV's shoes during the strike, though, is precisely why Hollywood writers and producers are arguing in the first place.