Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/681774
Broadcast News MASS LAY-OFFS AT LEGENDARY BAY AREA STATION MEMBERS SPEAK OUT: "Thirteen mostly glorious years at the legendary KGO Radio covering everything from presidential campaigns, human trafficking, the Super Bowl to Batkid and the Sacramento Zombie Train. It was a great ride and I'll forever be grateful to all of those I worked with, mentors and newsies alike, who helped me get through the early years and made going into the station a joy and a dream come true. Consolidation has changed the landscape of our business. Serving the community is no longer the goal. But I refuse to believe that journalism and quality broadcasting is dead." — Scott Lettieri, SAG-AFTRA shop steward / BSC member; Edward R. Murrow Award and AP Mark Twain Award winner T wenty-three SAG-AFTRA members employed at KGO- AM San Francisco were laid off on March 31 by Cumulus Media, the second-largest radio company in the country. All weekday morning and afternoon, the on-air staff who provided news, traffic and sports updates for Bay Area listeners were let go. Many of the impacted employees were longtime employees at KGO-AM, beginning at the station in the 1980s. The SAG-AFTRA agreement with the station requires that the affected union staff receive severance pay and AFTRA H&R benefits for a period beyond their termination date. These lay- offs have been felt throughout the radio industry, and SAG-AFTRA continues to advocate for its members facing the changes in the industry. "On March 31, my job at KGO/KSFO Radio ended on almost the same day it started 43 years ago. The past 23 years at KGO were the most fulfilling. I had a very loyal fan base among the staff, advertisers and the listeners. KGO was the No. 1 radio station in San Francisco for over 30 years. I always took great delight when station management told me that I was mentioned in the station research focus groups as one of the most identifiable and memorable things about KGO. I was told that I had become an "element" on KGO Radio — as important and identifiable as the call letters. All of that ended on March 31 this way: 'You are being terminated; your services are no longer needed by Cumulus Media.' That's all they said." —Mike Amatori, KGO/KSFO Radio STUNT PERFORMERS AT THE BSC SAG-AFTRA Secretary-Treasurer and L.A. Local President Jane Austin moderates a stunt performer panel at the Broadcast Steering Committee meeting in Los Angeles on March 12. The panel provided an opportunity for committee members to hear about the work that stunt performer members do and how SAG-AFTRA impacts their professional lives.