On Sunday, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav struggled to deliver a commencement address at Boston University while a number of picketers and audience members booed his message and shouted their support for the ongoing writers’ strike.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike at the beginning of May after weeks of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Televisions Producers. The WGA is seeking fair wages now that writers’ rooms, episode counts, and residuals have all gotten smaller amid the streaming boom. The guild is also more than a little suspicious about how AI will be used in the production of television and movies going forward.
Per Deadline, Zaslav contended with jeers and “pay your writers” chants as he worked his way through a 22-minute speech. Zaslav graduated from BU’s law school in 1985, and he encouraged graduates to recognize their strengths and weaknesses.
He also outlined lessons he learned from mentors, including former General Electric and NBC CEO Jack Welch, as well as Warner Bros. Discovery board member John Malone. Zaslav said to the crowd, “Those relationships, friendships, mentorships will enrich and propel you.”
Meanwhile, protestors waved signs demanding fair pay for writers, and an airplane circling above towed letter cards that spelled in all-caps: “DAVID ZASLAV: PAY YOUR WRITERS.” You can see some of the action below:
Zaslav told CNBC earlier this month that he believes a “love for the business and a love for working” will ultimately end the writers’ strike, adding, “We all came into this business because we love storytelling. … That’s what’s going to bring us together.”
He brought the same kumbaya tactic to the conclusion of his address, where he appeared to extend an olive branch to those heckling from the crowd: “I hope to see all of you — and I mean all of you — along the way. The journey of life. There’s nothing better.” Says the guy who makes a living wage.