‘Oprah & Friends’ XM Radio Show Goes Union

by James Parks, AFL-CIO (reposted)

Thu, Jul 5, 2007 8:17AM

Thursday, July 5, 2007 : If you listen to the "Oprah & Friends" XM Satellite Radio program this week, you'll hear Maya Angelou discuss country music with some of her favorite artists or learn from Bob Greene how to get your kids to eat healthy. Maybe some XM Radio execs need to listen to the program to learn how to deal with unions.

Last week, “Oprah & Friends” became the first and only XM Radio program to have a union contract when the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) signed a deal with the program’s producers that covers the show’s nine hosts and one announcer. No other XM program has a union contract for its on-air talent.

Eileen Willenborg, AFTRA’s Chicago executive director, says:

I commend the producers at “Oprah & Friends” for working together with AFTRA members to create a sensible and responsible agreement. This ground-breaking agreement is the first contract that provides union salaries, benefits and working conditions for talent on a program only carried by satellite radio.

AFTRA’s National Executive Director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth agreed, saying:

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For more information: http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/07/05/oprah-fr...

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