I thought my screenplay was pretty good, and was about three aliens, that came to Earth from the planet Krouton, to conduct an investagation.  The title of the scripe, "The Not So Excellent Adventure" and was about the miss-adventures of the aliens while they were on Earth, etc.  At the time, the comedy got favorable reviews from the William Morris Agency and Dr. Linda Seger, who is one of the top script consultants in the industry!

I don't deal with bigots and people of hate in my life...I'll find something else to do.  So, I left the screenwriting industry!  As they say in Ireland...all these bigots can kiss my "arce!" 

From:  Yahoo Finance.com: 
Two dozen entertainment firms said they have agreed to pay $70 million to settle age discrimination claims by 165 television writers over the age of 40 is the largest settlement of its kind. 

The defendants include 17 television networks and production companies, including ABC; CBS; Fox; NBC, and seven talent agencies, including the now merged Wiliam Morris- Endeavor Entertainment; Gersh and UTA. 

The settlement caps nearly a decade of court battles.  Just one outstanding case, against Creative Artists Agency remains. 

*                     *                      *

 I guess my name is still on somebody's mailing list, because I recently got the following mailing from the industry, and I thought it would be best to share with others interested in writing.  I have quoted directly from the piece and it speaks for itself.  The notice is entitled;

"LEGAL NOTICE"

DATE:  February 20, 2010...and the notice reads as follows: 

"If you are age 40 or over and wrote or were interested in writing for television, a proposed settlement may affect your rights. 

Seventeen television networks and studios and seven talent agencies have agreed, subject to Court approval, to settle age discrimination allegations in connection with the hiring and representation of television writers age 40 and over, in nineteen separte class action lawsuits, for a collective payment of $70,000,000.  (Insurance carriers are paying approximately two-thirds of the settlement amount)  If you qualify, you may send in a claim form to get benefits and may comment on or object to the settlement.  If you do not want to be part of the settlement, you can exclude yourself. 

 WHO'S INCLUDED?

The settlement lawsuits defines two classes - a) persons age 40 or over who have previously written for television; and b) other persons age 40 or over who have been interested in writing for television.  There are various qualifications and exclusions.  If you believe that you may be a settlement class member, you can get more information, including a detailed notice, at the websites or telephone numbers shown below. 

What's This About?

The separte lawsuits all claim that the networks, studios and talent agency discriminate on the basis of age in their employment and representation decisions.  The defendants (including ABC; APA; Carsey-Warner; CBS; Columbia TriStar Television, Inc; DW SKG TV LLC; formerly known as DreamWorks; SKG TV LLC; Fox; NBC; Universal; Paradigm; Shapiro-Lichtman; Sony Pictures Television, Inc; Spelling Television; The Gersh Agency; The Endeavor Agency; The WB Television Network; William Morris Endeavor Entertainment LLC; Touchtone Television; TriStone Television, Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox; UPN; UTA; Warner Bros. Television; William Morris Agency; all deny that they discriminate, but believe it makes sense to end the litigation, which as been pending since 2000.  The Court did not decide which side was right. 

 What Does This Settlement Provide?

Of the $70 million settlement, the lawyers representing Plaintiffs and the Settlement Class (Class Counsel) estimate that about $43 million will be used to pay awards to Settlement Class Members, pay taxes on those awards, fund activities beneficial to the Settlement Class Members, and fund certain reserves required under the Settlement.  One-third of the Settlement will be used to pay Class Counsel's court-approved contingent fee award.  The remaining 6.7% will be used to pay and reimburse expenses related to litigation of the claims and notice and administration of this Settlement.  Part of that expense portion will be contrubuted to fund programs for Settlement Class Members. 

The share of the fund that each eligible claimant receives will be based on a formula that, once devised, will be submitted to the Court for approval.  It will consider many factors, including your income from and qualifications for television writing. 

How Do You Ask For a Payment?

To qualify for a payment, you must submit a claim form.  Call or visit a website below to get one.  Claim forms are due by April 13, 2010.

What Are Your Other Options?

If you stay in the class, you may comment on the settlement by April 14, 2010.  To preserve your right to sue any of the defendants yourself for past alleged age discrimination, you must exclude yourself by April 18, 2010.  If you exclude yourself, you can't get money from the settlement.  The detailed notice explains how to exclude yourself or comment.  If you do nothing, you will not receive payment, but you will still give up any right you may have to sue defendants or their affiliates and certain others about alleged age discrimination that occurred prior to January 22, 2010. 

The Court will hold a hearing in these cases, which is currently scheduled for May 5, 2010, (but which may be rescheduled) to consider whether to finally approve the settlement and the request for attorneys' fees and costs.  You may ask to speak at the hearing. 

Can I Consult With Class Counsel?

Yes.  To consult with Class Counsel (led by Paul Sprenger of Washington, D.C.), at no charge, contact them at the number or website below, or email them at questions.TVWriters.com.  All communications with Class Counsel are confidential and priveledged. 

Claims Administrotor; www.TVWritersSettlementAdmin.com
1-888-730-7198

Class Counsel;
www.TVWritersCounsel.com
1-877-518-7090

END OF NOTICE;

From: Reuters.com;
The Hollywood talent agency, International Creative Management has agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle an age discrimination suit by TV writers...the first of 23 class-action cases to be resolved. 

ICM is one of 12 agencies first sued in 2000 along with various broadcast networks and studios by screenwriters aged 40 and over, who claimed they were "gray-listed," by the television industry and squeezed out of jobs in favor of younger scribes.  The ICM case represents only 3-4 percent of the money damages that affected writers stand to gain industrywide if all the cases were settled, said Paul Sprenger, attorney for the writers. 

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I have never been interested in writing for television.  I think it's a 'dog eat dog' world...filled with cut-throats,etc.  

Since I started writing seriously in August, 2006, I have elected to stay in the Free Content market and give away my articles.  About a year ago (2009) I decided NOT to get into the paying markets in article writing, because I don't want to deal with the cut-throats in the publishing business, either!  (publishers/editors, etc.) 

Making money has never been my goal in writing.  I get much pleasure in writing articles, and seeing them published on the Internet.  More than 100 of my articles, have now been published on more than 500 websites on the Internet.  Website owners are not going to put up trash on their websites, you know!

Those of you who may be interested in learning more about Free Content, can go to my article directory, where I have about 100 articles posted.  This is where almost all of my articles have come from to get published.  This is the best decision I've ever made concerning my writing, etc.  (I have about 150 articles posted at Authors Den)

Article Directory; EzineArticles.com;
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jerry_Aragon

The reader can see where my articles have been published on the Internet, by going to this page on my website;
http://humordoctormd.homestead.com/articlespublished.html

Enjoy and good luck with all your projects...and watch out for nasty bigots and people of hate..disguised as publishers; editors, critics, directors, producers and agents! 

Copyright; Jerry Aragon; 2010

UPDATE:  (April 20, 2010)  From the AARP magazine, comes the article entitled:  "A Happy Ending For TV Writers - What a $70 million settlement means for the future age-bias cases.

"A major legal victory, won by AARP Foundation attorneys and television writers, may affect age-discrimination cases for years to come. 

For nearly a decade, a group of 165 writers, ages 50 and up...with the support of the AARP Foundation's litigation department...argued in court that television studios conspired to shout out older writers via a so-called 'graylist.'  Now, is a landmark settlement, the TV studios have agreed to pay $70 million in damages to thousands of affected writers.

'It has been a very long ten years,' says Tracy Keenan Wynn, 65, who won an Emmy for the 1974 The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.  'For the previous ten years, I didn't know what was going on with my career.  It was like when you have really bad breath, but no one's willing to tell you.'

Wynn...the son of the great charactor Keenan Wynn and grandson of the legendary Ed Wynn...was evenually told by network exectives that older writers don't know how to write young characters.

'That's not true ,' he says.  'In our 40's, 50's and 60's, writers just get stronger and stronger.  You hone your craft; you experience more.  Shakespeare wasn't 15 when he wrote Romeo and Juliet.  Writers get better with age.' "

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Website name; humordoctormd