TV And Movie Writers Strike After Negotiations Crumble. Here’s What You Should Know
Negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and film and TV studios and streamers broke down late Monday night, with leaders of the union now saying they will go on strike "effective 12:01 AM, Tuesday, May 2.” It is the first WGA strike in 15 years; the last work stoppage began in November of 2007, and lasted 100 days. If WGA pickets go up as planned on Tuesday, late night television shows will likely go off the air immediately, and there almost certainly will not be a new episode of Saturday Night Live next weekend.
Just prior to that notice of an imminent strike, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television producers issued a statement saying the talks had ended. The AMPTP also indicated to the WGA that it is prepared to improve that offer, but was unwilling to do so because of the magnitude of other proposals still on the table that the guild continues to insist upon. Joining to discuss is John Horn, arts and entertainment reporter at LAist and host of the LAist podcast “Retake,” and Kevin Klowden, chief global strategist at the Milken Institute.
With files from LAist. Read John Horn’s full story here
AI-Generated Music Is On The Rise – How Will It Change The Recording Industry?
It seems like every few minutes a new song goes viral on TikTok, but one recent tune stands out: “Heart on My Sleeve” featuring Drake and the Weeknd was not actually by Drake and the Weeknd, but generated by artificial intelligence. Not only did the song fool a lot of people, it had music fans and professionals asking existential questions about the future of the industry. Some see AI as just another tool for creativity, while others see a potential mountain of intellectual property litigation, as artist’s voices are used without their consent, and AI scrapes existing music for data. Joining us is Taryn Southern, creator of I AM Ai, an album composed and produced entirely by artificial intelligence and Joseph Fishman, professor of law at Vanderbilt University, and an expert on music copyright matters.
Newsom Wants 1,200 Tiny Homes Across The State. How Successful Was His 2020 Plan To Address Homelessness Using RVs?
California will spend about $30 million to build 1,200 small homes across the state this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in March. It’s part of a plan to help house the nation’s largest homeless population and to address an issue that has persistently plagued the state during the governor’s time in office. Some see a resemblance to Newsom’s 2020 trailer program, which promised 1,300 RVs to people experiencing homelessness in California. The state’s largest population centers could request trailers for improved quarantine capacity among people experiencing homelessness. But results from that program were mixed across the state. Some trailers became crucial parts of cities’ COVID response, while others were ultimately unused due to expensive repair needs. What can Newsom learn from the successes and failures of the trailer program as the state embarks on the newest Tiny Home initiative?
Today on AirTalk, we’re joined by Sydney Johnson, KQED reporter, and Gary Painter, professor at the USC Price School of Public Policy.
With files from the Associated Press
Netflix Invests More Than $2 Billion Into South Korean Television & Film
There’s been a notable boom in the popularity of South Korean art and entertainment, and Netflix seems to be capitalizing on this by investing $2.5 billion into developing Korean-told content. We have seen some success in the Korean-projects Netflix has put out recently: “Physical: 100” as a fitness-centered reality TV show, “Squid Game” as a critically-acclaimed K-Drama, and “Okja” as a touching project from one of the best filmmakers in the world today. So what about these projects made them successful and what should the expected outcome be for this notable move in international television and film?
Today on AirTalk, Austin Cross talks to professor of East Asian studies & visual studies at UC Irvine, he’s also author of the book “Hegemonic Mimicry: Korean Popular Culture of 21st Century,” Kyung Hyun Kim and Wade Major, film critic for LAist and CineGods.com.
Queer LA: What Brings You Joy?
LAist is launching a new project called “Queer L.A.” The project kicks of Tuesday, May 2 and aims to connect folks with the LGBTQ+ people, to help navigate, and to help spread moments of joy. In fact, that’s what we’re starting with. We want to know your stories of queer joy.
Joining host Austin Cross to discuss is Caitlin Hernández, L.A. Explained reporter for LAist 89.3. Their latest essay is “LGBTQ+ Angelenos: We Want Your Stories Of Queer Joy.”