All tv serials are having huge loss due to strike

Strike forces channels to re-run serials
During the strike the TRP of channel will go down if the strike is not completed earlier than !!

If you are a soap opera addict yesterday would have been a shocker. Channels showed of popular soaps instead of new episodes as cine employees went on strike over the weekend Meenakshi Pillai is suffering from withdrawal symptoms. She has been denied her daily dose of mournful melodrama and family sagas.

Her sedate afternoon TV slot has been spoilt by reruns of her favourite soaps. "It's terrible that they are repeating the shows because continuity of the shows is broken," says Meenakshi.

Over 350 entertainment channels, regional and national across India stalled on fresh episodes starting Monday. It is the result of a battle between television producers and the workers association in Mumbai who have demand for a hike in payment. Producers were forced to suspend all shoots.

"We have had a discussion with the producers and they are not increasing the pay for workers and hence channels will run in losses," said Dharmesh Tiwari, President, Federation of Western India Cinema Employees.

Over 50,000 workers have demanded a hike of around seven per cent in daily wages which producers say would lead to a 300 per cent increase in production costs.

While producers refuse to shoot with such low profit margins, channel heads maintain that during the current economic slowdown, a hike in production cost is unaffordable. But bearing the brunt of the battle is the common viewer who knows nothing more than the half-hour entertainment slot back.