AFTRA Rallies Members For FCC Hearing
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/28/2006 12:05:00 PM
The union representing TV and radio performers is trying to get as many of its 25,000 members to attend the FCC's planned Oct. 3 public hearing on media ownership rules as possible, and they won't have much good to say about Big Media.
"On the job and in the community, AFTRA [American Federation of Television & Radio Artists] members have experienced first-hand the devastating effects of media consolidation. It is critically important that our voice is heard at the public hearing," said AFTRA National President John Connolly in calling on members to participate.
The Writers Guild is expected to weigh in as well on the effects of consolidation on newsgathering and reporting. Connolly seconded that concern, and said that in entertainment programming, media concentration has "driven an already herd mentality of copycat programming and formats to new depths of numbing duplication, with the disappearance of whole genres of TV drama, comedy, and variety programming and the closing off of the radio dial to many musical styles and diverse voices."
If Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/Push coalition and members of the Congressional Black Caucus have their way, the L.A. ranks will be further swelled by hundreds of volunteer/activists talking about the impact on diversity of ownership and the coverage of issues of importance to African Americans.
One former station exec said he would advise broadcasters to make sure they were out in force in L.A. to make their case, too.
The FCC has divided the hearing into two parts, the first in L.A. in the afternoon, the second in the evening at a high school nearer the airport. All the FCC commissioners are expected to attend.
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