Archive for August 2008

AFTRA/SAG Delay The Inevitable…

Friday, August, 29, 2008 by Mel Phillips.

(Labor Day Weekend Edition)

The digital age has come upon us so quickly that old rules don’t apply anymore and new ones are being written every day.  A perfect example of this electronic culture shock in action is in the inaction of AFTRA/SAG in working out a commercial contract agreement with the advertising industry, specifically the ANA/AAAA Joint Policy Committee on Broadcast Talent Union Relations.  Both sides agreed to extend their current contract through March 31, 2009.  This is not the first extension either.  These six months are added to the previous two-year extension which covered the period from 2006 to 2008.  That extension was set to expire this October 29th…

Both sides eventually will work out an agreement on how to pay voiceover talent for radio, TV and online commercials.  The unchartered territory - pay for online commercials is as much of a problem as what, if anything should talent be paid for online broadcasts…

The 70,000-strong talent members of AFTRA/SAG aren’t the only ones facing unchartered territory, so too is the recording industry.  Just ask the RIAA about that.  There are no easy answers but I don’t think delaying the inevitable is the answer…  

10 Timeline Memories:  

  1. 1954] Oh Carol: Hurricane Carol  hits the northeast killing nearly 70 (60 in New England alone) and resulting in millions of dollars in damage (8/31)…
  2. 1963] Hotline: The hotline communications line between Washington and Moscow goes into operation. This was the second most important hotline after the Drake batphone (8/29)…
  3. 1965] Case Closed: 75-year old Mets manager Casey Stengel  retires after a 56-year career (8/29)…
  4. 1967] Curtains: Dr. Richard Kimble bows out. The last episode of “The Fugitive” draws 72% of the TV audience as Kimble is freed in a wild water tower chase where Lt. Philip Gerard kills the one-armed guy who was about to kill the good doctor. A witness agrees to testify that the one-armed dude killed the wife of Kimble (8/29)…
  5. 1969] Rocky is gone: Undefeated heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano dies in a light plane crash in Iowa, the day before his 46th birthday. Rocky is the only undefeated heavyweight champ in history (8/31)…
  6. 1985] A Titanic sighting: The real Titanic is found by a joint U.S.-French expedition. The sight of the sinking is 963 miles northeast of New York and 453 miles southeast of Newfoundland (9/1)…
  7. 1997] Death of a Princess: This was the day that Princess Diana  meets her death in that tragic crash in a French tunnel. The world mourns the 36-year old Diana (8/31)…
  8. 1989] “Happy Trails”: Baseball Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti  dies of a heart attack at 51 (9/1)…2002] The legendary Lionel Hampton  dies from cardiac arrest at 94 (8/31)…2006] Following a series of strokes, veteran actor Glenn Ford passes away at 90 (8/30)…
  9. 2002] Guilty as charged: Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel  is sentenced to 20 years-to-life for bludgeoning his then teenage neighbor in 1977 - Martha Moxley. His attorneys keep appealing the ruling every year to no avail (8/29)…
  10. 2005] Katrina the Killer: Hurricane Katrina makes landfall along the Louisiana coast, overwhelming the levees protecting New Orleans. The massive flooding takes more than 1,500 lives (8/29)…

    11. Music Memories:

Commentary:

I’ve already heard from several ex-WNBC people who will be at our Alumni gathering at Hurley’s on October 3rd. If you worked at WNBC Radio you are welcome to attend as we toast the 20th anniversary of the signoff of WNBC October 7, 1988. There will be a cash bar - no money in advance - dinner is dutch. It’s a time to reminisce and catch up with some old friends. Hurley’s is right down the block from 30 Rock (232 W. 48th Street). If you have any questions or would like to attend, e-mail Janice Penino at japenino@hotmail.com I hope to see you there…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday”:

(8/29) Rebecca DeMornay (46), Michael Jackson (50), Robin Leach (67), Elliott Gould (70), Senator John McCain (72) and Sir Richard Attenborough (85)…(8/30) Andy Roddick (26), Cameron Diaz (36), Robert “The Chief” Parish (55), Peggy Lipton (61), Elizabeth Ashley (69), Warren Buffett (78), Bill Daily (80) and Kitty Wells (89)…(8/31) Deborah Gibson (38), Marcia Clark (55), Richard Gere (59), Coach Tom Coughlin (62), Van Morrison (63), Itzhak Perlman (63), Jerry Allison (69), Dan Rather (77) and Daniel Schorr (92)…(9/1) Gloria Estefan (51), Dr. Phil McGraw (58), Archie Bell (64), Lily Tomlin (69), Alan Dershowitz (70) and George Maharis (80)…

Timeline Countdown: 3 days until Labor Day, 6 days until the NFL Opener (Washington @ NYG) and 30 days until the end of the regular MLB season…

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