NATAS-Lower Great Lakes Chapter Announcements

Membership Information
for Broadcast Year 2008

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Save the Date:
40th Annual Emmy® Awards Ceremony – Saturday, June 19, 2010
The Hilton Garden Inn - Cleveland, Ohio
  

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ZERO SUM GAME - SAG vs. AMPTV

Shelly Palmer, consultant and the host of a daily on-line show MediaBytes  about technology, media & entertainment, and author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV wrote in his daily blog on Sunday, January 4:

Should SAG go on strike? No. Should they be willing to strike unless they get meaningful remuneration for advanced media content? Yes. Solidarity is where collective bargaining begins. Which leaves only one question, “What is meaningful remuneration for advanced media content?”

Perhaps the most serious problem SAG is facing is internal. Its executive committee has asked the rank and file for strike authorization. While many prominent Hollywood figures have joined in support (Mel Gibson, Martin Sheen), equally prominent stars like George Clooney, Morgan Freeman, Tom Hanks and Matt Damon have vocally objected. Let’s assume that SAG can hold itself together long enough to actually get back to the bargaining table. What should they hold out for? And, more importantly, when (if ever) should they walk?

• Should a SAG member be entitled to residual payments for Internet television that are identical to broadcast TV? No. Internet television carries only 20% to 30% of the ad inventory of its broadcast counterpart and has a bandwidth cost associated with every watched hour that must be paid by the distributor. Understood, but shouldn’t they be fairly compensated?
• Should a SAG member be entitled to residual payments for a video sack (clip of a show) that is being used on YouTube or another video aggregation site for promotional purposes?
• Should a SAG member be entitled to residual payments for a download-to-own file of a movie or television show?

The answer to all of the above is unequivocally, yes!

Now, from the AMPTP’s point of view, “online video” does exist. They’d have you believe that all of this is experimental and that there’s not enough money to discuss. Guess what? They’re right too!

We have arrived at the most critical juncture in SAG’s history. . But, sadly for everyone involved, the AMPTP has arrived at the same place. Both sides must absolutely win.

Of course, both sides can’t win. This is a zero-sum game. The best that can be hoped for is a compromise. I would suggest that a “fractional percentage of gross income” is the only possible number that can work.

A strike will seriously hurt everyone. If you’re a union actor, you have to authorize one and be ready, willing and able to walk. If you’re the AMPTP, these harsh economic times are forcing you to change your corporate governance and financial reporting anyway. Maybe it’s time to meet the actors halfway.

To read the entire article, go to www.shellypalmermedia.com/20

OBAMA + CONSUMERS UNION ASK FOR DIGITAL SWITCH DELAY

All the major press and broadcast news organizations along with Shelley Palmer on Friday, January 9th report that president-elect Barack Obama has joined the Consumers Union in asking congress to delay the digital television transition. Obama noted “inadequate funding” for the program as a prime reason to delay the transition, which is scheduled to happen 28 days after he steps into office. (Federal officials reported that the program to distribute $40. coupons to consumers to help defray the cost of converter boxes is out of money with up to 5 million people on a waiting list by February).  In addition, the big four networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC) support a move to delay the transition.

In a speech at George Mason University, Barack Obama noted broadband expansion as a key part of his economic recovery plan. Obama is quoted as saying there is a need to expand “broadband across America, so that a small business in a rural town can connect and compete with their counterparts anywhere in the world.”

You can read more about  Sony Corp.’s 90% digital connection and other interesting blogs at Shelly’s MediaBytes on the web at www.shellypalmermedia.com.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announced the winners of the first annual ceremony of the Global Media Awards (GMA)  at the opening night of the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

9,000  industry professionals  attended the International CES to see the latest trends and products from 2700 exhibitors from around the world.   The Global Media Awards helped showcase the companies that produce new digital media and content for consumers around the world, and recognize how the worlds of technology and entertainment have merged to advance both the creativity and science of media worldwide.

In addition to the Global Media Award winners in 13 categories, special achievement awards were given out to the industry leaders Ericsson, Inc., LG Electronics, Inc., Motorola, Inc., Nokia Corporation and Samsung Electronics Co., LTD for excellence in the creative adaptation of technology that enhances video programming and content for handheld devices.

The program was streamed on the internet by TVWorldwide and is available for archived viewing at http://www.tvworldwide.com/