Are all broadcasters, including the FoxNews on air people, members of unions, too?

[eleny]

I was just wondering how many of the naysayers are hypocrites regarding unions.

[KharmaTrain]

1. Television Yes...Radio...No

There are several unions in broadcast operations. The most prominent is AFTRA...that covers all the "talent" with NABET representing the technical folks. Many TV operations are still union shops...and my bets that includes Faux folks like Dreck and O'Reilly. Radio all but busted out the unions in the 70s and 80s with only the largest stations still having some union people but not many. My bets are rushbo doesn't have a card nor needs one...in fact his show busted out a lot of live and local programs that were replaced with cheap satellite clap trap. Overall the union gave up on radio (not the big money there is in TV) and hung a lot of people I knew out to dry (not hired when it was known they were active in the union) with little financial or other support. I used to hire active union folks to do voice work so they could continue to maintain their health insurance. Today many of those same people dropped the union and have very bitter feelings about all involved.

[eleny]

3. Thank you so much, KT

Radio is an important medium. But now we know that it's a strong probability if not a given fact that the faces we see on FoxNews are all members of unions who benefit greatly by what the unions have gained over these many decades that television has existed.

[KharmaTrain]

9. We Saw Their "Solidarity" A Couple Years Ago...

Not sure if you remember the TV writers strike...it shut down shows like David Letterman and The Daily Show as those show's AFTRA members showed solidarity and shut down production (Letterman continued to pay his staff during the strike). It affected the "regular" Fox Network (the one the Simpsons are on) as it relies heavily on Hollywood product but I don't recall any AFTRA members at Faux Noise joining the picket lines. In fairness, neither did anyone at MSNBC, including Keith Olbermann. As usual, solidarity ends at the water's edge...where it affects my paycheck.

Radio went to a lot of outsourcing...the industry is so beat down these days that most local stations are run by a handful of people or are operated by computer. It chased away a lot of great talent that, in turn, drove away many listeners. The few reamining listeners were old whites...and thus why hate radio is so dominant. Anyone with intelligence listens to their IPods or computers or an NPR or public station.

Cheers...

:hi:

[Uzybone]

2. pretty sure most on air bobble heads are not union members

hired flack yes, union members no

[eleny]

4. I recall Keith Olbermann saying several times that he belongs to a union

So that's why I asked.

[Rick Myers]

5. Most tv folks are union members...

IATSE or NABET...

[eleny]

6. Thanks, Rick! I hope that some day someone asks those Fox phonies their status

[riderinthestorm]

7. I know I've read somewhere that Bill O'Reilly, Hannity and others are union members

Does anyone know for sure? I believe I read it on a Media Matters site but don't have the time to search right now.

If these Rethug tools are union members, AND are also working to break the unions in WI, that's info that people like Ed Schultze and Rachel Maddow could use.

[stlsaxman]

8. Don't forget the Communications Workers Of America

http://www.cwa-union.org/

:headbang: