Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1544866
sagaftra.org | Spring 2026 | SAG -AF TR A 21 I n February, it was announced that SAG-AFTRA and Netflix executed a podcast agreement covering The Pete Davidson Show, a new video podcast available exclusively on Netflix. Also in February, SAG-AFTRA sponsored and led a fireside chat at On Air Fest in New York City. As one of the podcast industry's most celebrated gatherings, SAG-AFTRA's presence at the festival and partnership with Sounds Profitable at the event underscored the union's growing engagement with the podcasting community and its commitment to ensuring artists have a seat at the table. The following month, SAG-AFTRA was a sponsor of Podcast Movement Evolutions at SXSW. Held March 13–15 in Austin, the conference brought together over 1,900 podcast creators and industry leaders for live podcast recordings, reports on the latest in podcast production and trends, and lively conversations about the future of the medium. Podcasts are now widely recognized as a core, mainstream media pillar. As the podcasting industry continues to evolve and grow, SAG-AFTRA will be there to protect and support the creators and journalists who are the engines behind all of this work, no matter what shape it takes or how or where it is distributed. Pete and the Pods SAG-AFTRA Signs The Pete Davidson Show While Deepening Ties to the Podcast World S AG-AFTRA New York Local members and staff celebrated an important step forward for AI legislation at 1900 Broadway, when NY Gov. Kathy Hochul signed S.8391/A.8882 and S.8420-A/A.8887-B into law in the Ken Howard Conference Room on Dec. 11. S.8391/A.8882 updates New York's postmortem right-of-publicity law to prohibit the use of a digital replica of a deceased personality's voice or likeness in an expressive audiovisual work without prior consent. S.8420-A/A.8887-B amends general business law to require advertisers to disclose when a digitally created synthetic is used in advertisements. The bills, sponsored by New York state Senate Deputy Leader Mike Gianaris and state Assemblymembers Linda Rosenthal and Tony Simone, were championed by SAG-AFTRA as safeguards for performers and the public from unauthorized or otherwise deceptive uses of artificial intelligence. Milestone Artificial Intelligence Bills Signed at SAG-AFTRA New York Office Pete Davidson on the set of Netflix's The Pete Davidson Show. MARGARITA CORPORAN Interested in having your podcast work covered under a SAG-AFTRA podcast agreement? Find out more at sagaftra.org/podcast-contracts. OLIVIA MCCAUSLAND/NETFLIX From left, SAG-AFTRA Chief Labor Policy Officer & New York Local Executive Director Rebecca Damon; SAG-AFTRA Vice President, New York & New York Local President Ezra Knight; New York Gov. Kathy Hochul; SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland; New York state Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris; and SAG-AFTRA Executive Vice President & New York Local Vice President Linda Powell.