by Patrick Varriale, AFM Electronic Media Services Division Director and Assistant to the President
I am excited to present the first special EMSD issue of the IM as director of the Electronic Media Services Division (EMSD), which represents and protects the interests of the AFM’s great recording musicians.
The following four articles were prepared by the many talented EMSD staff persons:
1. CDs Have Taken On a Life of Their Own
2. Top 10 Important Reasons to Record AFM
3. Protect The Product
4. AFM Agreements Provide Compensation for New Compilation and Clip Use Collections
5. How to Handle Professional Sideline Work
6. New Use Department Has a Cubicle for You
7. 52-Week All Media Cycle Addition in Commercial Announcements Agreement
They are intended to be informative and to serve as a guide. We have also included an up-to-date list of EMSD staff and the functions they provide. They are all serious people—most of whom have dedicated themselves to serving recording musicians for many years. Our West Coast Office is led by Matt Allen and Mary Beth Blakey. While the New York Office will continue to be my base of operations, I am both confident and proud to have Allen and Blakey working with me to handle the complex and detailed-oriented administration of our recording agreements in a department where the projects keep coming.
The negotiations front has been, and will continue to be, busy. Earlier this year we completed negotiations for the new Basic Theatrical Motion Picture and Television Film Labor agreements. Those agreements have since been ratified. We have also completed negotiations with representatives of the producers of Conan, and are preparing to enter into negotiations for a new Sound Recording Labor Agreement (SRLA). Also on our negotiations radar are: Country Music Television (CMT), national public television, basic cable television, and nonstandard pay television.
Though our collective plates are extremely full, that has not prevented us from putting together a collection of articles for you to enjoy. So please sit back, read up, and let us know if you have any questions or comments.