Writers Guild of America chief Patric Verrone sent what I'm sure he meant to be a stark warning to U.S. media companies -- that writers and audiences will migrate to the Internet in the event of a prolonged strike. In an interview with the Financial Times (first excerpted on Deadline Hollywood), Verrone said “[there are] entrepreneurial possibilities for the talent community to go directly into production and distribution. With every day that goes by, our members are exploring Internet TV. The ability to explore this business without media conglomerates is becoming a real possibility.” (click here for the rest of the story.)

Agreed. But how far off is it really when cutting out the middle man via the Internet is a viable possibility for high quality scripted fare? It may be inevitable, but as a mass means for the quality we're used to seeing via broadcast or cable, we're probably several years off. However, a strike could speed the process. I know, I've been watching more TV on the Internet since the strike, but it's still the shows like "Saturday Night Lights" and "30 Rock" that I'm getting caught up on, not stuff simply created for the Internet. And inevitably, there are glitches, making the experience nowhere nearly as seamless as simply flipping on the tube.

Your thoughts?