Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/87061
On Location San Francisco PANEL EXAMINES MEDIA REFORM Media Consolidation & Local Radio, a documentary produced by Jennifer C. Douglas and Jon Monday. Following the screening, a panel discussed media reform. Panelists included SAG-AFTRA San Francisco Local Associate Executive Director/Communications Director Karen H. Lipney; producer Jennifer C. Douglas, Common Cause Northern California organizer Helen Grieco and Media Alliance Managing Editor Tracy Rosenberg. Representing reporters, anchors, DJs and talk show hosts on local radio, the former AFTRA has long been a proponent of retaining limits on the consolidation of media ownership, having filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission as recently as March 5. In its filing, AFTRA stated, "Relaxing ownership rules will lead to a less competitive media marketplace that is less responsive to the public need for information." Lipney spoke about issues impacting C alifornia Common Cause presented a screening of Save KLSD: localism that SAG-AFTRA faces when negotiating with broadcast employers, including the use of voice tracking, which eliminates local programming in favor of canned formats; cross-assignment between TV and radio; reduction in the number of hours of local news; joint ventures that reduce competition between broadcast owners; news sharing; and outsourcing of news. 38 SAG-AFTRA | Fall 2012 | SAGAFTRA.org WORKSHOPS PROMOTE DIVERSITY T SAG-AFTRA Conservatory Workshop was held in Atlanta on May 7. Moore and Nelson were two highly respected and loved senior actors in Atlanta. Support and funding for the momentous event was provided by the former SAG National Ethnic Employment Opportunities Committee, and The Green Room Actors Lounge graciously hosted the evening. A large, diverse group of members he inaugural event for The Muriel Moore/Danny Nelson came to hear the guest speaker, Emmy Award-winning casting director Shay Bentley-Griffin. She served as a past president of both Georgia Production Partnership and Women in Film & Television Atlanta. Also in attendance were co-founders of Nina Holiday Entertainment, Cass Sigers and Terri Vaughn, former star of The Steve Harvey Show. The minority- run production company has several projects currently in production for the Gospel Music Channel. Vaughn is also one of four owners of the Green Room Actors Lounge. Atlanta Casting director Shay Bentley-Griffin speaks to members at the SAG-AFTRA Atlanta Conservatory Workshop on May 7. O SAG-AFTRA MEMBERS LEAD COMMUNICATIONS SEMINAR Seattle communications specialists from around the state. The program provided insight into how a newsroom really works, what makes a reporter want to cover a story and get involved with it, how and why relationships with news media are important, and how to be likeable and positive in getting your story across, whether in print or over the air. The all-day session was presented by broadcasters Karen O'Leary, Jim Forman, Adam Gehrke and Steve Reeder, who is also co-president of the Seattle Local, and actors John Patrick Lowrie and Laura Kenny, along with other guest speakers. The summit was conceived by Steve Krueger, former AFTRA Seattle Local president and broadcaster, who also presented at the seminar. The Summit was well-attended, with approximately 75 representatives of labor unions n June 9, the SAG-AFTRA Seattle Local and the Washington State Labor Council jointly sponsored a communications summit for union members and listening to the eight panel presentations. Interesting conversations developed through the course of the day and continued over lunch, and the feedback from the attendees was immensely positive. One popular session, led by SAG-AFTRA member and broadcaster Evonne Benedict, involved ways unions can get full benefit from various social media technologies. The event was such a success that the SAG-AFTRA Seattle Local intends to reprise the summit on a regular basis, and provide shortened versions to interested labor unions.