As a result, writers are considered the driving force in television. Top writers often serve as executive producers, creating and overseeing programs. Generational gulfs also exist among writers. Guild officials note that the goals of younger members can vary from those of older ones. Older writers are concerned about constant income from what they do.
Younger writers ought to be as well.
SAG's ranks have swelled to nearly 100,000, in part by a decision in the early 1990s to absorb screen extras. DreamWorks SKG and MGM are essentially movie studios. General Electric's NBC, with no link to a Hollywood movie studio, has even less in common with the others. One of the biggest internal rifts involves whether Fox should continue to enjoy paying a discount on residuals, something granted when it was a fledgling network. Fox's rivals believe it's unfair, given the network's growth and its ability to outbid other networks for the rights to major sports events such as NFL football and major league baseball.