I’d be remiss if I didn’t devote this week’s column to the hottest news in the media world – the Writers Guild of America strike. The best explanation has been created by the guild on YouTube, but I’ll give you a quick rundown.

In the ’80s, writers took a hit on the residuals they’re paid for what they write when it goes from TV to home video. They took the cut in order to expand the market, but expected the pay they receive to increase after home video took off.

Obviously, that has happened, but the cut that writers receive for their work never increased.

With home video now a success, the market has expanded to the Web. But writers aren’t seeing the proof in their wallets.

Networks broadcast all kinds of shows and extras online.

You’re probably asking, What does reality TV have to do with writers? Well, we’ve all come to learn that reality TV is anything but real life. Hours upon hours of footage have to be cut down into a story, and that’s done, in part, by writers who create the storyline. Although reality TV writers aren’t unionized, some have joined the writers’ strike.

My take is that when a business succeeds, its employees should see some of the benefit. TV has taken off like never before in new formats, and the writers behind the shows are doing the right thing. It’s time they saw some extra reward for their work.

Best of all, these writers are being supported by the actors who play out their ideas. The Screen Actors Guild voted to support the writers, and hundreds of actors have joined the picket lines to support their colleagues.

Who knows how this all will play out in the end, but it does show that Hollywood still has some heart underneath its drama of ratings, rehab and battling exes.

For updates on the strike, visit the Writers Guild Web site at www.wga.org. I’d also love to hear your take on the strike. Log onto www.bangornews.com for the Reality Bytes blog and let us know where you stand on the issue.