ABC Affiliates Give Writers a Cool Reception

If a writer strikes in Hollywood and no one hears him, does he make a sound?

Much to their disappointment, striking members of the Writers Guild of America were virtually ignored by representatives of ABC’s affiliated stations at the network’s annual convention at the Century Plaza.

The affiliates were in town Tuesday and Wednesday to hear the network’s plans for the fall season.

Prominent television writers--including former “L.A. Law” producer Terry Louise Fisher, Howard Gewirtz (“Taxi,” “Bosom Buddies”) and Ray Cunneff (“High Mountain Rangers”)--also showed up Tuesday, hoping to meet with some of the station executives to persuade them to put pressure on ABC and the other production companies that the Writers Guild struck on March 7.

Counting spouses and family members, the convention was attended by 1,200 people.

Less than a handful deigned to meet with the writers.

“I’m at a loss to know why; they clearly know we’re here,” said frustrated guild member Thomas Cook, standing next to a buffet of uneaten hors d’oeuvres in a hotel meeting room crowded with writers. “Unfortunately, we have no one to talk to but ourselves.”

Cunneff said that the station officials tended to look at the striking writers as the enemy--the culprits in delaying the start of the fall season.

That feeling was exacerbated by guild picketers who had marched outside the Century Plaza earlier Tuesday during an outdoor affiliates luncheon, chanting “Bran-DON! Bran-DON!” (a call to ABC Entertainment President Brandon Stoddard), followed by “No season!” and, in a reference to the network’s last-place status, “You’re No. 3!”

Cunneff acknowledged that the picketing and chanting “was a PR breakdown on our parts”--explaining that the pickets came as a surprise to the group that had planned the meeting with the affiliates.

“Those people who are not showing up here are ignoring the fact that they’re in a terrible bind,” said writer Casey Keller. “Our market will not shrink (if the strike delays the start of the fall season), but theirs will. They should realize that they should help us a little.”

Station representatives weren’t seeing things that way, however.

“Obviously, we are on opposing sides,” said John Behnke, president of Fisher Broadcasting and KOMO-TV in Seattle. “Obviously, everybody is concerned about the outcome (of the strike), and they’re the ones who are causing the problem.”

“I was a little irritated at the shouting at lunch,” said Clyde Payne, vice president and general manager of WBKO-TV in Bowling Green, Ky. “My comment to a fellow affiliate (about the ‘No. 3’ chant) was, ‘They’re not telling us anything we don’t already know.’ ”

Despite the lack of success at ABC, the writers said that if the strike has not been settled, they will try again to meet with representatives of CBS’ affiliates when they come to Los Angeles this weekend for their annual meeting.

Aside from the strike and the uncertainty it has raised about when the fall season will begin, ABC’s affiliates were buoyed by the network’s performance last season. While even entertainment chief Stoddard has acknowledged that the network’s second-place finish at the end of the official season in mid-April was due to special programming such as the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics (it has since fallen into third again), the network is clearly closing the gap between itself and CBS.

Only three new series pilots were available for viewing due to strike-related production delays, but the success of several of last season’s shows--including the mid-season entries “The Wonder Years” and “China Beach”--gave station managers reason for optimism.

“I feel that the network has made some excellent progress this year,” Behnke said.

“I think it’s too early to say what the addition of the new shows will bring; so far all we have is the names of the new shows to go on,” he continued. “But I have a lot of confidence in what the network is doing. We’re entering the fall with some much stronger shows than we had a year ago.”

Payne agreed. “I’m extremely optimistic,” he said. “I think by and large the watchword is excitement.”

The most optimistic of all was Dave Lane, president and general manager of WFAA-TV in Dallas.

“I fully expect us to be No. 2 this fall,” he said. “I think CBS is a little bit like a football franchise that was successful, then the players suddenly got old. Their shows are old.”

The three available pilots were “Knightwatch,” a youth-oriented show about a community-watch organization much like the Guardian Angels; “A Fine Romance,” a comedy about a divorced couple who reunite to host a talk show that takes them traveling around the world; and “Roseanne,” a comedy starring comedienne Roseanne Barr.