While ABC has taken Apple’s “Think Different” tagline to heart in terms of distributing select shows such as Lost, Desperate Housewives and Disney’s That’s So Raven on iPods, new thinking has to emerge in terms of the migration of commercials to this and other nontraditional platforms. That was the word from Albert Cheng, executive VP of digital media for the ABC Television Group.
Cheng observed that current labor and rights agreements can often preclude TV spots from being shown in other mediums and that ad agencies should be more aggressive in securing these rights to capitalize on certain sponsorship opportunities. Cheng’s remarks came during last month’s Online Media, Marketing & Advertising Conference & Expo in Universal City.
A first step may have been taken last Saturday (4/8) to address this as members of the advertising industry’s Joint Policy Committee on Broadcast Talent Union Relations (JPC), the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) met to consider commissioning a joint study of alternate methods to compensate performers for their participation in commercials that appear on television and radio as well as in the growing assortment of new media. Should the JPC, SAG and AFTRA agree, the study will be conducted by an independent consultant with experience in TV, radio and labor relations, with the resulting approaches to be considered in the bargaining process between the ad industry and the unions on the new commercials contract.
The current contract is scheduled to expire on Oct. 29. However, the parties have also agreed to consider an extension of the contract to enable completion and review of such a comprehensive study, should additional time be needed.
The payments structures in the current collective bargaining agreement has been developed over and dates back to the last 60 years. But with the opportunities presented by digital technology to reach consumers in new ways, the JPC–which represents the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA)–and the actors’ unions have recognized that a study analyzing adaptability of this technology to those structures could prove valuable.
Disney Pledges $15 million In L.A. Fire Aid As More Celebs Learn They’ve Lost Their Homes
The Pacific Palisades wildfires torched the home of "This Is Us" star Milo Ventimiglia, perhaps most poignantly destroying the father-to-be's newly installed crib.
CBS cameras caught the actor walking through his charred house for the first time, standing in what was once his kitchen and looking at a neighborhood in ruin. "Your heart just breaks."
He and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, evacuated Tuesday with their dog and they watched on security cameras as the flames ripped through the house, destroying everything, including a new crib.
"There's a kind of shock moment where you're going, 'Oh, this is real. This is happening.' What good is it to continue watching?' And then at a certain point we just turned it off, like 'What good is it to continue watching?'"
Firefighters sought to make gains Friday during a respite in the heavy winds that fanned the flames as numerous groups pledged aid to help victims and rebuild, including a $15 million donation pledge from the Walt Disney Co.
More stars learn their homes are gone
While seeing the remains of his home, Ventimiglia was struck by a connection to his "This Is Us" character, Jack Pearson, who died after inhaling smoke in a house fire. "It's not lost on me life imitating art."
Mandy Moore, who played Ventimiglia's wife on "This Is Us," nearly lost her home in the Eaton fire, which scorched large areas of the Altadena neighborhood. She said Thursday that part of her house is standing but is unlivable, and her husband lost his music studio and all his instruments.
Mel Gibson's home is "completely gone," his publicist Alan Nierob confirmed Friday. The Oscar winner revealed the loss of his home earlier Friday while appearing on Joe Rogan's... Read More