The Writers Guild of America is ripping into Boston University after BU picked the chief of Warner Bros. Discovery to be this month’s graduation speaker amid the Hollywood writers’ strike.
Following BU’s “poor decision” to have Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav as graduation speaker on May 21, the Writers Guild of America is warning that picketers may descend upon the ceremony at Nickerson Field.
“Boston University should not give voice to someone who wants to destroy their students’ ability to build a career in the film and television industry,” a Writers Guild of America, East, spokesperson stated in an announcement to the Herald.
“The University should expect students, Writers Guild members, as well as other unions and community groups to picket Zaslav’s commencement address,” the spokesperson added.
BU has been dealing with warmth because the college final week introduced that Zaslav, a BU Law alum from 1985, can be the graduation speaker.
Zaslav is pictured on a viral checklist of eight Hollywood CEOs who collectively made greater than $773 million in 2021, based on the writers’ guild. Zaslav took dwelling $246 million that yr, the guild posted on-line.
“Students at Boston University’s prestigious film and television program, along with Writers Guild of America members in Boston, have expressed their deep disappointment with the University over its poor decision to platform Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav,” the Writers Guild of America, East, spokesperson stated.
“Writers Guild members are on strike because Companies including Warner Bros. Discovery refused to guarantee any level of weekly employment in episodic television, attempted to pivot late night writers to a day rate, stonewalled on free work on script revisions for screenwriters, and refused to even discuss our proposal on the existential threat AI poses to all writers,” the spokesperson added.
Zaslav was requested concerning the writers’ strike throughout a TV look final week.
“Everybody deserves to be paid fairly,” Zaslav stated on CNBC. “So our number one focus is let’s try and get this resolved. Let’s do it in a way that the writers feel that they’re valued, which they are, and they’re compensated fairly, and then off we go. Let’s tell great stories together.”
Last Thursday morning, BU tweeted about Zaslav within the graduation announcement, “He oversaw the launch of some of the fastest-growing networks in the US and the rise of popular channels, such as Animal Planet, HGTV, Food Network, & TLC.”
The college has not responded to a number of requests for remark concerning the criticism of the speaker decide.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”