Late-night talk shows, led by NBC's Jay Leno and CBS' David Letterman, depend on writers and could be silenced. Leno and Letterman have expressed guild support, but during past strikes late-night shows have been able to continue by promising to honor any future settlement. Cable TV wouldn't be much different, either. Repeat programming is customary, and many original cable shows are being produced before the strike deadlines. In addition, the unions' reach is not as extensive in cable.
Some cable channels see a strike as an opportunity to lure viewers.
Anticipating the worst, movie studios for months have been shooting films at a furious pace to ensure they would have something to release during a strike. Even so, film buffs might find fewer or edgier movies in theaters by mid-2002 if strikes last six months or longer. The big question in the movie industry is the schedule. Studios already are avoiding committing to release dates, and they are likely to space releases further apart to stretch inventory. Studio execs plan to delay two of them, but they won't decide until after they know whether strikes will happen.