I think that viewers being angry hurts the TV stations plenty. Unless you and millions of other 24 fans plan to dedicate yourselves to watching whatever crap FOX decides to put on instead of 24 to spite the strikers they are going to feel this in ratings dips.

And why do you come down on the writers when the studios could probably end the strike just as easily by caving. Sure the studios are more important than the writers in aggregate, but if the argument is the fans are what's important then the studios should want to make the fans happy and get their shows back on track by appeasing the writers. I think until someone starts to feel the burn financially they won't be able to come to an agreement then there simply won't be scripted TV and that will be that.