The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) and the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) labor unions are made up of film, television, and radio writers. Their members work in the most influential broadcasting corporations in the country, such as CBS, MGM, and NBC.

It was on this day, November 5th, in 2007 that Hollywood screenwriters went on strike, and this strike drastically affected the television industry.

Over 12,000 writers went on strike on this day, and the protest lasted until February 12, 2008. Those on strike wanted better pay for writers in proportion to the growing profits of the large studios. An NPR report estimated that the strike cost the Los Angeles economy about $1.5 billion in opportunity costs. The new contract, which was approved by about 93% of the members, proposed pay increases from 3 to 3.5% for the next three years.