Barry Diller Predicts Doom if Strikes Continue

Barry Diller

Barry Diller, the big time Hollywood mogul, is concerned that should the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, which has now been joined by the actors union SAG-AFTRA, should continue for much longer it could mean the end of the entertainment industry as we know it. Diller set a September first deadline for the strikes to end if Hollywood is to avert catastrophe.

So, how would Barry Diller settle the ongoing disputes? Well, he suggested that top entertainment industry executives along with the highest-paid stars take a 25 percent pay cut. Then, this money could be used to provide increases in wages for the lowest level writers.

The problem faced by most Hollywood writers is the underlying issue of the WGA strike. Writers do not share in the glory, nor get the level of fame, that actors and directors do. And most get by on a paltry income. Twenty years ago many had their livelihoods threatened by the proliferation of unscripted so called “reality” television programs. Now, they are under threat as AI programs like ChatGPT could take away their jobs entirely.

In an interview that he gave Sunday on CBS’ weekly news program “Face the Nation,” Barry Diller said, “There’s no trust. You have the actors union saying, ‘How dare these 10 people who run these companies earn all this money and won’t pay us?’ While, if you look at it on the other side, the top 10 actors get paid more than the top 10 executives. I’m not saying either is right. Actually, everybody’s probably overpaid at the top end.”

“The one idea I had is to say,” he added, “as a good-faith measure, both the executives and the most-paid actors should take a 25 percent pay cut to try and narrow, narrow the difference between those who get highly paid and those that don’t.”

Barry Diller fears the disruption to his industry should the strikes continue since there will be no new television programming – or even movies – for a long time.

“What will happen is, if in fact, it doesn’t get settled until Christmas or so, then, next year, there’s not going to be many programs for anybody to watch,” Barry Diller predicted. “So, you’re going to see subscriptions get pulled, which is going to reduce the revenue of all these movie companies, television companies, the result of which is that there will be no programs. And at just the time, strike is settled, that you want to get back up, there won’t be enough money. So this actually will have devastating effects, if it is not settled soon.”

According to his official bio, Barry Diller is the Chairman and Senior Executive of IAC and the Chairman and Senior Executive of Expedia Group. From 1995 to late 2010, Mr. Diller served as the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer of IAC. Since December 1992, beginning with QVC, Mr. Diller has served as chief executive for a number of predecessor companies engaged in media and interactivity prior to the formation of IAC. From October 1984 to April 1992, Mr. Diller served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fox, Inc. and was responsible for the creation of Fox Broadcasting Company in addition to Fox’s motion picture operations.

Before joining Fox, Barry Diller served for 10 years as the Chairman and Chief Executive of Paramount Pictures Corporation. In March 1983, in addition to Paramount, Mr. Diller became President of the conglomerate’s newly formed Entertainment and Communications Group, which included Simon & Schuster, Inc., Madison Square Garden Corporation and SEGA Enterprises, Inc. Prior to joining Paramount, Mr. Diller served as Vice President of Prime Time Television for ABC Entertainment. His broadway credits include To Kill A Mockingbird; The Iceman Cometh; Carousel; Three Tall Women; A Doll’s House, Part 2; The Humans; Betrayal; and Music Man. Through his foundation Mr. Diller has supported projects for Roundabout Theatre Company, Signature Theatre, The Public Theater, and Motion Picture & Television Fund, and created Little Island, a park and performance center in the Hudson River.