This is a bad thing?

American TV networks have lost almost a quarter of their audiences because of the Hollywood writers' strike, according to new figures, and executives fear that “orphaned” viewers may never return.

The Nielsen ratings organization found that US viewership for last week's opening of the 2008 TV season was down 21 per cent compared with the same week last year...

The Hollywood stoppage is costing the Los Angeles economy an estimated $20 million a day.