Reality TV’s harsh realities

More than three years ago, I wrote a letter to The Times that was similar to Tom Reynolds’ commentary, “Even bad TV has to have writers” (Sept. 7), calling for an expose on the sweatshop conditions that had made reality shows so attractive to the networks. One writer I know was forced to work so many hours per week that he literally never saw his family. He did this for a fixed salary that most people couldn’t live on. If he decided to spend a Sunday afternoon with his kids, he would get an angry call from the show’s producer, threatening the loss of his job.

The only way to get rid of this insulting and debasing reality TV programming is to make sure that the people who work on these shows are protected by labor laws. The nanosecond it costs the same to produce a “Survivor” episode as it does “The West Wing,” there won’t be single surviving reality show.

JOHN JOHNSON

Encino