WGAE Elects New President

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/21/2007 5:12:00 PM

The Writers Guild of America East installed new leadership.

Michael Winship, a veteran writer for noncommercial programming including Nova and Now with Bill Moyers, was elected president

Winship takes the helm as the guild begins negotiations over the minimum base agreement with the studios and TV companies over contracts covering about 12,000 WGA East and West members, who write the bulk of scripted television. Getting union coverage of writers who pen the bulk of reality TV -- yes, wrestling fans, reality TV needs writers, too -- is one of the issues on the table.

WGA is also in the midst of years-long negotiations with CBS and ABC over news personnel.

TV and screen writer Bob Schneider was elected vice president, and Gail Lee, a writer-producer with CBS News, was re-elected secretary-treasurer (her sixth term).

WGAE president Chris Albers and VP Tom Fontana had not sought re-election.

WGAE is also losing longtime executive director Mona Mangan, who last month announced her intention to retire as soon as a replacement can be found