Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/94610
things in terms of media right now," said Speer. For Los Angeles DJ and BSC member Cynthia Fox of KLOS, integrating new and existing media into her daily show's platform was an evolution of her work. As a veteran on-air radio personality, Fox has found a way to integrate a blog, video vignettes and Twitter into her programming. "It's an era of short attention spans, so we have to be very concise but still human, still warm, still knowledgeable about the music and what's happening in the community," she said. "Our website has become a really nice, vibrant entity for us in that if we have something to share with the listener, and it's too long or complicated to explain in a few words, I can talk about something and then send the listener to my blog on the website." When Fox attends special events like the opening of Cars Land at Disneyland or a movie premiere, she takes along her video crew or Flip cam to capture the moment. When the Rolling Stones were playing a show in Paris recently, Fox was able to report live to listeners the set list, because the band's Twitter feed was reporting each song played as it happened. "Once we learned about the features and what's available for us to do, then we took it and ran with it," she said. "I think that's the interesting thing about being creative. he tech people may know the technology, but it's the creative people who are coming up with the ideas to make it vibrant and exciting." For Speer, new and emerging technology and how to work with it is the biggest issue facing broadcasters. He sees media convergence and melding journalism and broadcast across different platforms as the way of the industry. It's a tough pill to swallow for some members who may feel technology can weaken the quality of their reports and work. "We're in a period where this is happening. We can't turn the clock back," Speer said. "We can't stop the onslaught of technology. We need to figure out how it can benefit our members." SAG-AFTRA broadcast leaders feel if the employers want reporters to do all these different things — shoot video, write stories for the Web, while continuing traditional broadcast duties — then the members have to stake out a place at the bargaining table and determine what their role is in it. "I've been doing a lot more work than I've ever done," Totenberg said. "here are all these different platforms I have to perform for." his media convergence is common among all members of SAG-AFTRA, Speer said. Most members are working to some degree with audio and video. Actors are working in various forms of computer graphics, such as the technology created for Avatar; audiobooks use various types of members, including broadcasters, voiceover artists and actors. "Especially now in the digital platforms, we're coming together," Speer said. "I think the various platforms that we work in as members are more common and less disparate than they were before." BROADCAST BREAKDOWN Number of contracts: 235 Biggest shop: 400+ at NPR Number of contracts approved since January 2012: 30 52 SAG-AFTRA | Winter 2013 | SAGAFTRA.org 6,769 MEMBERS (AS OF 11/2012) Thinkstock.com, John Paul Filo/CBS Broadcasting Inc., 60 Minutes/CBS Broadcasting Inc.