DGA Monthly

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 I 1 9 The advent of the television industry in the 1940s and '50s transformed Hollywood and grew the Directors Guild into a bigger, sturdier union—with richer benefits for all—than anyone could previously have imagined. The popularity of the new video medium greatly increased employment, leading to the merger of the Screen Directors Guild (SDG) with the New York-based Radio & Television Directors Guild (RTDG) in 1960. It unified bargaining power under one roof, and brought together in a single union all Directors of audiovisual content and the teams that support them. In addition, the merger made the DGA unique among entertainment craft unions for uniting East and West, thus covering all areas of technology and craft—features, television, news, and sports. "I remember it as a very exciting time," said former DGA president and RTDG member Gil Cates. "And the potential we all felt at the time of the merger has been more than realized. As a unified guild representing all Directors, we accomplished things that we never would have been able to separately. And the bottom line is Directors have gained more creative rights and economic power from a stronger guild." And yet these advantages might never have been won had it not been for the dedicated efforts of farsighted members at a time when expanding the Guild to include television Directors was a daunting proposition, fraught with risk. More than 10 years of struggle and patient strategizing preceded the merger in 1960 that finally united film and TV Directors nationwide in a single, prosperous guild. At the outset, television was a live broadcast medium—a post-war outgrowth, it seemed, of the thriving radio industry that until then provided the nation's home entertainment. TV was initially touted as "radio with pictures," and some of the earliest model sets looked the part—console radios with the addition of tiny screens and of course, picture tubes. Most of the programs were created in New York, so it isn't surprising that the first efforts to organize the new medium took place there, where the Radio Directors Guild was headquartered. That group already had contracts with ABC, CBS, and NBC—all of which began as radio networks. In 1948, the radio guild secured a contract with CBS that also covered TV Directors, and thus, changed its name to the Radio & Television Directors Guild, or RTDG. Similarly, as early as 1947, the Screen Directors Guild in Los Angeles had established a committee to examine the new video medium and consider how SDG members could become involved. The SDG in Los Angeles began holding forums to educate its members about the technical aspects of the new medium, frequently bringing in executives and leaders in the field. It also sought to promote the employment of members. In a letter sent to television producers dated Dec. 1, 1948, Guild President George Marshall assured them that SDG members were "anxious to participate in the future of television as it broadens its sphere of activity." Marshall went on to say that for "production of high-quality films commensurate with the demands and requirements of the television industry, Hollywood is the logical center," thanks to its wealth of "equipment, technical know-how, experience, ingenuity, and creative ability." On March 19, 1950, the SDG, under Marshall's leadership, announced its intention to take jurisdiction over all Directors and Assistant Directors working in television, citing "rapidly increasing employment of members in the preparation of film material for video screens." The Birth of the Modern DGA In December of 1959, the Los Angeles-based Screen Directors Guild (SDG) merged with the New York-based Radio & Television Directors Guild (RTDG) to become the modern DGA. 65 years later, we look back at how it opened the door for many of the benefits our members enjoy today. — continued on page 20 The radical change in the standard method for broadcasting live shows was one of the things that made the merger of NY and L.A. Guilds logical. NBC founder David Sarnoff demonstrates an early prototype of a tape machine in 1953, which would become practical in 1956 when Ampex developed a smaller format.

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