In this special post-Convention issue...

Please click on the following links to take you to the news...

John P. Connolly Re-elected National President
Strategic Planning Continues With Comprehensive Overview of AFTRA’s Organizing Opportunities - AFTRA Moves to Increase Flexibility and Efficiency with
Constitutional Changes to Reduce National Board Size and Create
Options for National Headquarters Location
FCC Commissioner Copps Delivers Keynote on Media Consolidation
Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa and Assorted California Legislators Address Convention
Resolutions
AMEE Awards
American Scene Awards
George Heller Memorial Gold Card Recipients
2007 Convention: Philadelphia

John P. Connolly Re-elected National President
The 60th Convention re-elected Los Angeles actor John P. Connolly to his third two-year term as the union’s National President. Acknowledging his re-election, President Connolly said, “I am most grateful to be re-elected. I will do my best to maintain the trust that you have placed in me.”

In his initial address to the Convention, President Connolly told the delegates “in a world of predators, you can’t stand still or you will just be lunch. Clearly, our members understand that to survive and prosper, we must be willing to change.”

In addition to President Connolly, 11 National officers were elected to two-year terms. Washington broadcaster Bob Edwards was re-elected National First Vice President. Roberta Reardon (New York) was re-elected National Second Vice President. Other officers elected are: Vice Presidents: Ron Morgan (Los Angeles), Lainie Cooke (New York), Shelby Scott, former National President (Boston), Belva Davis (San Francisco), Dave Corey (Miami), Dick Kay (Chicago), David Hartley-Margolin (Denver). Matt Kimbrough (Los Angeles) fills the post of Recording Secretary. Mitchell McGuire (New York) was re-elected Treasurer.

back to index

Strategic Planning Continues With Comprehensive Overview of
AFTRA’s Organizing Opportunities - AFTRA Moves to Increase Flexibility and
Efficiency with Constitutional Changes to Reduce National Board Size and
Create Options for National Headquarters Location
The delegates received a comprehensive overview of AFTRA’s broad jurisdiction receiving research created by the union in conjunction with Cornell on various challenges and opportunities facing the union. Work on setting prioritities, allocating resources to those priorities, and engaging in focused, disciplined internal and external organzing is an key element of AFTRA’s ongoing strategic planning process.

National Board Size Reduced
A constitutional amendment was passed by Convention that reduces the size of the National Board from 116, its present number, to approximately 70, plus elected officers (remaining at 12). The Board will continue to include members who work in all fields of AFTRA’s jurisdiction and throughout the country.

National Headquarters Requirement Removed
Another constitutional amendment passed by Convention eliminates the requirement that the union’s National headquarters be located in the Borough of Manhattan in New York City. This is intended to give the National Board the utmost flexibility in deciding where to locate its principal office.


back to index

FCC Commissioner Copps Delivers Keynote on Media Consolidation
Addressing the subject of media consolidation, Commissioner Copps criticized the FCC’s reluctance to hold sufficient public hearings before “taking some terribly wrong turns over the over the past few years.”

Noting that a federal court has ruled that the Commission’s relaxation of ownership regulations cannot be enforced, he praised AFTRA’s leadership in bringing the issue to public attention, noting that more than three million communications were received on the subject and that the U.S. Senate had also gone on record against the FCC’s decision. He said that the Commission would probably “be asked to resolve these issues quickly. We don’t have any time to waste… The months ahead are critical. If we work together in this new Commission – and I am more hopeful about this now – we can, I believe, craft rules that will withstand judicial scrutiny and the scrutiny of the Americans people. This is the most important proceeding the FCC will undertake for many years,” Commissioner Copps said.

back to index

Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa and Assorted California Legislators
Address Convention
At the opening session of Convention, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa welcomed the delegates, pledging to “do what we can to create incentives to make is easier to produce programs in Los Angeles.” Referring to the rapidly growing field of Spanish-language programming, an area AFTRA has been working to organize, Mayor Villaraigosa expressed the view that “the best way to ensure parity and fair treatment is to have a union.” The honorary Mayor of Hollywood, Johnny Grant, and Interim Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, Martin Ludlow, were also guest speakers.

Prominent California Legislators Spoke to the Delegates
Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez touched on pending runaway legislation and our Spanish-language organizing efforts, while Senator Sheila Kuehl covered health care reform, and Kevin Murray addressed the Convention about various legislative initiatives including the bill that gives recording artists increased auditing rights

back to index

Resolutions
Federal Shield Law Support
The Convention called for enactment of an “effective and meaningful Federal Shield Law” to protect journalists from being required to divulge sources to whom confidentiality has been promised. The resolution also saluted the “courage and resolve” of reporter Judith Miller and The New York Times, and called for Ms. Miller’s immediate release from prison.

Time Magazine’s Deplorable Action
Another unanimous resolution notes that AFTRA “deplores the decision and action of Time magazine in caving in to pressure to reveal confidential sources, and urges media owners and journalists nationwide not to follow Time’s example.”

back to index

AMEE Awards
The third annual AFTRA Media and Entertainment Excellence Awards (The AMEEs), celebrating the artistry, integrity, diversity of AFTRA members in the areas of entertainment, sound recordings, broadcasting took place the opening night of the Convention at the Hollywood Museum.

Award recipients were: Susan Flannery, Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning star of the CBS daytime series, “The Bold and The Beautiful”; Patti Austin, world-famous vocalist, composer, recording artist, and Grammy Award nominee; Robert Hager, NBC News correspondent, who has reported from Vietnam, Berlin, the Middle East, and across the globe for more than four decades; Don Hastings, actor/writer, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, who celebrates 43 years on the daytime series, “As The World Turns”; rising star of television and film, Emmy and Golden Globe nominated, Amber Tamblyn, critically acclaimed for her starring role on the AFTRA TV series, “Joan of Arcadia.”

Award winning news broadcaster and 2004 AMEE honoree, Bob Edwards, hosted the ceremony. Veteran actor Russ Tamblyn presented the award to his daughter, Amber, and other presenters included National Board members Patrika Darbo from “Days of Our Lives,” and Jason George, currently starring on the hit UPN series, “Eve.”

back to index


American Scene Awards
On the same evening of the AMEE awards, daytime drama legend and Emmy-Award winning producer William J. Bell was posthumously honored with the 2005 American Scene “Crystal” Award for his groundbreaking work in reflecting the diversity of the American scene in daytime television. “In almost fifty years of writing and co-creating daytime dramas with his wife, Lee Philip Bell, Bill Bell stood at the summit of his art,” observed President Connolly.

The following day, the American Scene Awards were presented - recognizing television, radio, and the recording industry producers who portray the country’s diversity in a positive, balanced, and realistic manner. ABC Entertainment and Touchstone Television received the Television Entertainment Programming Award for creating a new form of diverse and innovative primetime programming: the Micro-Mini Series. NBC Studios’ “Passions” won the Daytime Drama Award; Los Angeles’ KCBS/KCAL won the Television News Station Award. Pittsburgh’s WPXI-TV won the Documentary News Feature Award for “Young, Gifted, and Black: Pittsburgh’s African American Achievers.” The following honorees will receive their Awards in St. Louis, Missouri, in the fall: The Experiment agency will be honored for two radio public service announcements and KMOV-TV for its Diversity Awareness Partnership.

The awards ceremony concluded by honoring prominent San Francisco broadcaster, Belva Davis, for her professional and personal contributions to AFTRA and broadcast journalism. Ms. Davis was the first African American news broadcaster on the West Coast. Among her many awards are six Emmys and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. Henceforth, the Television News Station Award will be named for her.

back to index

George Heller Memorial Gold Card Recipients
George Heller Memorial Gold Card Recipients
AFTRA highest honor, the George Heller Memorial Gold Card, bestowed on “those who have made a significant contribution to AFTRA and its members,” was awarded to Tom Powers who, for 34 years, has served as General Counsel of AFTRA’s Washington/Baltimore Local, in which capacity he has been a leading negotiator for every major Local contract.

Dan Ingram and Maureen Donnelly also received Gold Cards. Mr. Ingram, one of the country’s leading disc jockeys, has served AFTRA as both a National Board member and Vice President of its New York Local for many years. Maureen Donnelly has been a vigorous and articulate member of AFTRA’s National Board since 1984. She also answers to the name of Mrs. Dan Ingram.

Boston broadcaster John Henning, and Chicago broadcaster Dick Kay, both of whom are past Gold Card recipients, made the presentations.

back to index


2007 Convention: Philadelphia
The last piece of business at Convention was a resolution on where the 2007 Convention will be held. Philadelphia has requested to be our host city and Convention delegates agreed.


back to index

..........................................................................................................................................................................