Still hoping that your favorite TV shows are coming back soon? You may want to let out that big breath you have been holding in, because the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) strike is into its third month and still going strong. Although the tentative deal the Director’s Guild of America (DGA) made with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) gives hope to the situation, the strike has gone on far too long and there is still no end in sight. It is time for both the writers and the producers to shelve their pride and come to a fair agreement that compensates the writers for their work.

The demands of the WGA are far from unreasonable. They are asking for the old agreement on royalties from DVD sales to be updated for the present pricing of home movies and to expand the agreement to include modern technology, including online streaming and downloads for portable devices. The original agreement is no longer fair to the writers because it was made when the VHS market was just starting and videos were more expensive then than they are today.

While the tiny percentage of sales given to writers might have been adequate with such high prices, the low price of DVDs and downloads drive the royalties down to a pittance. The WGA is right to demand an increase in profit from material that they helped create.

Writers are an integral part of the TV and movie industry. Without them, we would not have entertainment at its best. It is the writers and the products of their talent that keep ratings high for powerful networks like FOX, CBS and ABC. The drop in ratings for these major networks is proof that the film and television industry cannot survive this strike indefinitely. The AMPTP risks more than a mob of angry writers by dragging the strike out like this—it is facing a significant loss of revenue as well.

After three months without the skill of professional writers, major stations are struggling to stay afloat with reruns and reality shows. People can only handle so many of them before they lose interest and stop watching. The influence of the strike has now spread beyond Hollywood and into the living rooms of viewers across America.

If they have not already done so, the AMPTP and the WGA must take public opinion into account. Viewers may cease to sympathize with either party as awards season rolls around, especially if the Oscars go the same way as the conspicuously absent Golden Globes.

In an industry that relies on capturing the attention of millions of people, writers and producers alike must keep their eye on the ball. It’s one thing for the each party to be loyal to its cause, but dragging the issue out like this borders on being ridiculous. The strike has stagnated long enough that many viewers have lost faith in both sides and have resigned themselves to the monotony of reruns and reality shows. For the sake of the industry (and the fans), the WGA and the AMPTP need to take a hint from the DGA and call it a wrap.