There's some rumblings in the local union scene as Australian Workers' Union national secretary Paul Howes visited the AWG strike in Hollywood and offered "solidarity" to the striking writers.

He reckons a local 'sympathy strike' is needed to show support for the writers and to make it clear that similar stoushes about new media rights are just as possible here - but Australian screenwriters aren't so sure.

Mr Howes said the issues facing US screenwriters - who are pushing for royalties for new media, such as films and TV shows sold over the internet - would affect Australian writers, making it their fight as well.

"We haven't seen in Australia the full potential of online downloads of television shows," he said. "Most Australians aren't downloading Home and Away or Neighbours on to their iPod and watching it.

"This will eventually come to Australia."

Geoff Brown, executive director of the Screen Producers Association of Australia, disagreed with Mr Howes, saying the Australian industry differed from the American studio-based system.

"It's not our fight," he said. "It's got nothing to do with us, nor can we influence the outcome.

"We're here to try and develop an Australian independent production industry, so our goals are somewhat different."

We're inclined to agree with Brown, though mostly because we really, really want to know who Milco is, and we're not bloody likely to give up the satisfaction of finding out for a little bit of solidarity from the colonies!

YOU CAN NEVER TAKE OUR FREEEEDOM!

While Hollywood continues to gnash its teeth through the Writer's Strike, and favoured dramas, comedies and chat shows go silent without scripts, it seems the Strike is bringing about some goodness - for the Australian television industry.

Media boffins predict that because there are less new episodes of favoured US shows to buy, but networks will still be charging the same amount for advertising - even if repeats are being shown - the local networks could be left with money to burn, which would hopefully be spent on commissioning local content. In fact, that looks highly likely already.

Tim Worner, programming head for ratings leader the Seven Network, agreed that a repeats overkill could be dangerous.

"We have to be careful - with some shows, you're starting to see their bum through their pants," he said.

Mr Worner said Seven devised a plan last October to prepare for the worst. "The essence was turning a problem into an opportunity." That plan included holding back US programming that could have run during the summer, and expanding and extending Australian production.

Other networks have also made contingency plans. Nine Network's programming boss Michael Healy said the network had decided to make more local programs: "There are shows we have already commissioned because of the writers' strike."

Ten Network's programming head David Mott is also in commissioning mode, with the network to reveal more local shows "within the next week".

This is all well and good, provided said proposed local content doesn't feature a) Hotdogs or b) Kyle Sandilands. Which, given the recent run of new Australian television, is probably almost guaranteed.

Who knew there'd ever be a time when we pined for repeats of Just Shoot Me! and The Nanny?

Today's LAT publicises the plight of local TV-writing hopeful David McMillan, who after completing the CBS Diversity Institute's Writers Mentoring Program and enduring three unsuccessful staffing seasons, has this year decided to distinguish himself from the other faceless hopefuls watching their careers quietly die in the spec script slush pile by harnessing the power of the internets for some self-promotion. He's seized control of his own destiny by posting a clip of the top ten reasons he should be given a staff gig, then mailing off the URL to his industry contact list. Career suicide, or clever stunt that will land him a few meetings with executives anxious to meet the YouTube guy so that they can brag to their friends over lunch at the commissary that they met the YouTube guy? You be the judge.

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