/> There's a sense of prevalent panic among the television channels as all software movement came to a grinding halt on Monday.

The technicians have stopped all work. Channels will beam old episodes. But for how long?

The newer channels like Colors and 9 X don't have an archives.

So what do they do?

"Frankly, it's a more critical situation than all of us are ready to admit, " says Uday Shankar, CEO Star India, "This situation is unprecedented. But broadcasters had no choice.

At a time when there's an economic recession in every walk of life, tv channels are undergoing a serious revenue crunch and broadcasting costs have escalated dramatically, suddenly for a group of people to come in and demand a hike that would mean added costs of about 35-40 percent, is impossible."

The dispute to begin with, is between film/television producers and a group FWICE (Federation Of Western India Cine Employees).

Negotiations have been on for some time. The producers conceded to the FWICE's demand and now producers want to pass on the liabilities to the broadcasters.

Uday Shankar is aghast on behalf of his channel. "This is a malafide demand in principle.As far as I know all producers have been getting a systematic raise for providing software.

Suddenly television has become the producers' rather than the broacasters' market. Broacasters have been under pressure to provide incentives to producers. And we've been raising their remuneration regularly.

But producers don't pass on their increments and perks to their workers. So then why are they expecting us broadcasters to absorb their liability? After all we can't pass on our liabilities to our advertisers."

The strike comes at a time when the television industry isn't making much money. Uday Shankar thinks the FWICE's demands will totally destroy the economics of the film industry.

"We've also heard murmuers that tv actors are planning to get together to ask for a hike, also equipment vendors....so where does this end? We were left with no choice but to take this extreme decision.

Fortunately broadcasters, not known to stick together, have shown a rare solidarity For a month we've tried to reason witth them. But the producers wanted us to first give in to their demands.

We haven't stopped taking their programmes. They're saying any programme that's given to you would be at the higher rates. And we can't afford higher rates. So we're opting out."

In the meanwhile viewers will have to go a process of prolonged deja vu.

Says Uday Shankar, "We can only hope for sanity to prevail. Viewers sit down to watch fresh episodes. Not re-runs. What can we do? We can't give viewers new episodes at the moment because we can't afford them.

Some of the Federation's demands are reasonable. So if we focus on them and we can find a solution. As for higher wages they're possible only when the economic situation improves.

Funnily, it's the ordinary wage eagers who are being hurt along with broadcasters and viewers. We can't run a blank screen. So for now, repeats. Luckily we've our archives. But what about the new channels?"

Uday Shankar sees this as a form of blackmail. "We need the episodes. So they're counting on us succumbing. It's a really scary scenario."

The unexpressed fear is that politicians will jump into the fray and worsen the imbroglio.

The strike hits all shows, except Colors' Big Boss.

Says Kamat, "They made an exception primarily due to the nature of the show. We can't tell the housemates to go back home and come back when the show is over. Broadcasters have been kind to Bigg Boss. Very honestly we don't know how long this strike will last."

Hiten Tejwani: "As far as the worker' wages is concerned the channels and producers should resolve the matter asap. The strike is okay for a couple of days. But beyond that will mean huge losses for all of us. My entire life depends on television. So I'm very affected.

Anuradha Menon (Lola Kutty): "I've had only one shoot postponed due to the strike. Everyone's mantra is 'Show Me The Money'.

Technicians aren't being paid properly and with the proposed 28 percent increase budgets go up. Revenues are fallimg, channels are bawling. It's like a WWF match in the television fraternity. Who blinks first? We shall soon see.

Kavita Barjatya (looks after the Barjatya's tv company): "This is a no-win situation for all broadcasters, producers and workers. The matter should be resolved without losing any time."

Aryan Vaid: No strike is justified. Luckily for me, at this moment I'm doing a film and not television. But I do hope the strike ends soon.

Kushal Punjabi: "The strike isn't justified at all. It has affected me personally because I've been asked to leave the Star Plus show which I've been doing for 10 months. I think the people responsible for the strike should sit together and solve the crisis before it deepens."

Mukesh Bhatt who's mediating between the television workers and the producers- broadcasters feels there's too much pay disparity between the grassroots and the top levels of the television industry.

"These broadcasters are sitting in 5-star hotels sipping champagne and caviar and talking about recession. It's like you traveling in a limousine and asking the man traveling by an autorickshaw to walk to work. How can they ask the workers to survive on what they're getting when these workers are barely eking out a living?

It's time to let the top layer of the tv industry take the rap. I don't think the workers are wrong in asking for wages on a par with what their colleagues in the film industry. Broadcasters should cut down on the cost of making every episode. Pay every star less remuneration, if you have to.

When will the tv industry realize that the star of the serials are the writers, just like the stars of the movies are the directors? Look at what Colors have done with Balika Vadhu. Who's the star of the show? The solution for broadcasters to sit down with workers and listen to their demands."

Says producer Shristhi Arya, "We aren't really allowed to speak. But this impasse is really unfortunate. No one is benefiting from it. There's only losses to be had. And the sooner the problem is solved the better. All I can say is producers aren't all a uniform body of software producers. Everyone has a separate motivation."