Hollywood writers once again walked picket lines on Tuesday as a strike that could have a devastating economic impact went into its second day.

The strike, still in its infancy, resulted in the sudden suspension of special deals that studios extend to star writers.

Fox and CBS began notifying some of their top talent that they would stop paying for staff and development, a tactic other studios were considering.

The strike also confronted many in the television with a dilemma. Such is the case with so-called show runners, who serve as both writers and executive producers.

As members of the Writers Guild of American (WGA), they are obligated to stop writing while as producers, they must ensure the survival of their shows.

While the strike had an immediate impact on late-night television, TV dramas and comedies are likely to continue airing as scheduled for weeks and months to come because their scripts are written in advance.

No immediate impact on movies is expected because these often sit on the shelf, sometimes for years, before they reach theaters.

But even if the initial impact is limited, it could prove devastating in the long term -- for middle-rank writers, for businesses that serve production facilities, and for the entertainment industry.

The last WGA strike in 1988 lasted 22 weeks and cost the industry an estimated 500 million dollars. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said a long strike this time around could cost 1 billion dollars.

Several issues stand between the 12,000-member WGA and the producers. The most contentious involves supplemental payments, known as residuals, for TV series and movies shown on computers and other new media, including cell phones.

(CRI.cn November 7, 2007)