Writers Make Pact With Fox

The Writers Guild of America has forged an agreement with Twentieth Century Fox to cover writers working on prime-time animated shows “The Simpsons,” “King of the Hill,” “Futurama” and “Family Guy.” This is of great significance for animation writers and WGA’s Animation Writers Caucus, because it gives animation writers on these shows the same benefits as their live-action counterparts, such as mandatory payment for re-writes and access to the WGA health insurance plan. WGA’s acting executive director Brian Walton said, “It is our hope that this far-sighted agreement will lay the framework for similar contracts in this genre.” The negotiating team for the deal included Larry Doyle and Dan Greaney (“The Simpsons”), Alan Cohen and Jim Dauterive (“King of the Hill”), Chris Sheridan (“Family Guy”) and Pat Verrone (“Futurama”), as well as WGA staff Paul Nawrocki, Jane Nefeldt, Susan Gerakaris, Christine Albrecht-Buehler and Kay Schaber. In a separate agreement signed with Imagine Television in May, the guild also established a contract for writers on another Fox prime-time animated series, “The PJs.”


Animation World Magazine’s upcoming September issue will include an article about the WGA’s Animation Writers Caucus, by founding member Craig Miller.