Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/422151
SAGAFTRA.org | Fall 2014 | SAG-AFTRA 25 SAG-AFTRA presented Stories & Songs at the Excellence in Journalism conference in Nashville, featuring prominent singer/songwriters performing. From left, Nashville Local President Pat Alger, Leslie Satcher, Dickey Lee and Stephanie Bentley perform. The study was done with UCLA's The Williams Institute and published last year. Excellence in Journalism • Sept. 4-6 • Nashville T his "super conference" brings together the Radio Television Digital News Association and Society of Professional Journalists and was the last journalism conference of the summer. SAG-AFTRA took advantage of the large community of singer/songwriter members and presented a very special evening reception, SAG-AFTRA Presents: Stories & Songs, featuring four recording artist members performing some of their most famous songs they've penned and telling the stories behind them. Performing were Nashville Local President Pat Alger (Garth Brooks' The Thunder Rolls), Stephanie Bentley (Faith Hill's Breathe), Dickey Lee (George Jones' She Thinks I Still Care) and Leslie Satcher (Pam Tillis' I Said a Prayer). T he national Broadcast Steering Committee held its regular meeting in Los Angeles this past September and featured a panel discussion with SAG-AFTRA actors, as well as a look at recent public media organizing campaigns. The actors' panel was a result of a similar informational discussion broadcasters had with SAG-AFTRA performers, discussing their work and contracts. The actors' panel allowed broadcasters to gain more insight into some of the career issues their fellow members face. Moderated by President Ken Howard, the panel featured Los Angeles Local President Clyde Kusatsu, Los Angeles Local First Vice President Jenny O'Hara and National and New York Local Board member Kevin Scullin. During the discussion, the panelists touched on a wide variety of industry struggles, including typecasting and the sporadic nature of acting work. "With actors, there's so much risk involved," Scullin told the audience. "Every time, and I think all actors can speak to this, as soon as you finish a job, you feel like you will never, ever get a job again. We never know what's coming up next. And that's a great fear for actors." Kusatsu, who in his early days worked on-air at a radio station, spoke of the nature of being an actor, telling the BSC members, "You have to be able to improvise, but also have the ear, the eye and the observational nature. That's why acting is a great thing, to kiss the zeitgeist that's out there, to be able to elicit tears, but also to get the point across sometimes more with humor than with hectoring and lecturing." Said O'Hara of her craft, "I've been very fortunate. I got my first professional job in 1961 and I was on Broadway three years later. I haven't had to do any other work to support myself for the last 50 years, I am very pleased to say. But, the nature of the work is that it's very sporadic. So we find ourselves envying you — one place to go and a regular paycheck — it's what every actor wants, dreams of." BSC member Jack Speer of National Public Radio, said "For broadcasters, I think the actors panel provided a window into a different world. It was great to hear the actors on the panel discuss their trials and tribulations, and also elaborate on how the union was perceived during the period they were breaking into the business. At a time we want more young people in the union, it seems important for broadcasters to hear how our actor brothers and sisters dealt with some big issues in the past. But, at least for me, the best part was when the panel described the old Hollywood studio system, and how it in many ways controlled actors' lives. There have been a few times when I've a seen a roomful of broadcasters silent and transfixed, but that was one of those times." In the afternoon, BSC members were joined by local public radio guests from KPBS, KPCC and Chicago Public Media — three broadcast shops that were recently organized. The group discussed the issues they face in public media that differ from the commercial world and how important it was to organize as their work and organizations grow. From left, SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard, Los Angeles Local President Clyde Kusatsu, Los Angeles Local First Vice President Jenny O'Hara and National and New York Local Board member Kevin Scullin at the Broadcast Steering Committee meeting. BROADCASTERS TALK ACTING