Adam Conover Slams David Zaslav’s Pay on Network He Runs

CNN’s Sara Sidner interviewed comedian and TV writer Adam Conover about the ongoing Hollywood writers’ strike, which into effect early Tuesday morning.

“Host of Adam Ruins Everything. Adam Conover Since you’re known for ruining everything, is this your fault?” Sidner began with a joke.

“I mean, I’m off the clock right now. We’re on strike, so I’m not ruining anything for the time being, except maybe the profits of the companies,” Conover replied in good humor.

“All right. Explain why you feel that it is so important that this strike goes forward, that this has to happen now, Sidner followed up.

“So the studios and the streamers have tried to turn television writing from a career into a gig job. Writer pay has fallen by 23% over the past 10 years, even though the company profits have gone up by 50%,” Conover replied, adding:

They’re spending more money than ever on making these shows. They’re making more profits from them than ever. But writers are making less money. They’re employing us for less time. And if you look at the proposals that they rejected that caused us to go on strike, they’re proposals that would have protected writers, that would have made sure that when we’re not just employed by the day, but by the week and by the month that we can build a stable life in Los Angeles or New York where we live.

And, you know, that will prevent us from living in precarity. It is writers who are really facing struggles right now, and we are fighting for a stable life like all workers.

“We are showing some of the sticking points. Can you give us what some of those sticking points are? I think 98% of the members of the Writers Guild were in favor of the strike, and that’s obviously the vast majority. What are some of the things that that you guys are not going to compromise on?” Sidner asked.

Conover replied by laying out some of the writers’ demands, which he argued would make television writing a more stable career with guaranteed income.

“What do you say to those that run this industry that say, look, times are changing, We are not making as much money as we once did. This is not the golden era of television, although some of us would argue the shows are great. What do you say to them?” Sidner followed up.

“So I point out the fact that David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, which is the parent company of the network I’m talking to you on right now, was paid $250 million last year, a quarter of a billion dollars!” Conover replied, adding:

That’s about the same level as what 10,000 writers are asking him to pay all of us collectively. All right. So I would say if you’re being paid $250 million, Ted Sarandos made about $50 million last year. These companies are making enormous amounts of money.

Their profits are going up. It’s ridiculous for them to plead poverty when the writers who are making their shows, some of them are not able to pay their rent or their mortgages. I literally know writers who have had to go on assistance because they have not been able to make their year. If you look at these companies, they’re making more money than ever. It’s the people who make the shows for them that are making less.

According to a Variety report from March 2023, Zaslav did indeed receive “an unprecedented $203 million stock option grant that inflated his total 2021 compensation package to a staggering $246.6 million.”

Sidner then wrapped the interview, jokingly acknowledging the Conover might have gotten her into some trouble.

“Adam Conover, thank you so much for coming on because you ruined everything. You may have just ruined my career, but I don’t mind. I appreciate you coming on and honest and being very honest and candid with me,” Sidner quipped.

Watch the full clip above via CNN.

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