• Forbes.com, Monday, November 19, 2007 10:48 AM

There are a couple of things writers should keep in mind as they continue to strike for their share of new media revenues. Some studies say that online media content is accelerating America's ever-expanding appetite for TV. The battle for audiences, whether online or on the television, isn't exactly a "zero-sum" game. The Web is still a long way away from replacing the traditional television set.

Right now, the ability to watch TV on a cell phone, say, only reinforces a viewer's relationship to his or her favorite program. People still prefer to watch their shows on a television--and why not, time-shifting devices make it easy to watch programs without ads. For now, Web-based programming is a handy second option. Video sharing sites also serve the two-fold purpose of enabling users to relive their favorite moments, while helping TV programs attract new viewers.

The writer's strike may galvanize traditional media companies into improving their online offerings. If no new scripts are coming in, it's more incentive to them to look for new writers willing to create programming on the Web for less. The networks aren't likely to waste this critical opportunity for development. The same goes for advertisers: They may shift even more spending to the Web than they already have.

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