ACTRA ELECTS NEW NATIONAL EXECUTIVE

February 8, 2010 - ACTRA's National Council has elected a new National Executive and Treasurer to join National President Ferne Downey and Vice President Tyrone Benskin to form ACTRA's elected leadership. The new team includes a mix of experience and new energy from across the country.   -more-

PERFORMERS CALL ON CRTC TO PUT MORE CANADA IN PRIME TIME
"Don't let the broadcasters' and cables' slap-fest hijack the agenda"

November 25 - Canadian performers appeared before the CRTC today to urge the regulator to focus on getting more Canadian programming in prime time as the regulator re-writes its TV policy. TV stars Wendy Crewson, Nicholas Campbell and ACTRA National President Ferne Downey called on the CRTC to make broadcasters meet their obligations under the Broadcasting Act by forcing them to invest more in Canadian drama and give it a place in their primetime schedules.    -more-

HERITAGE MINISTER MUST STAND UP FOR CANADIAN TV

November 19 - Canadian performers are urging Heritage Minister James Moore to stand up for Canadian TV, after the government hinted it's set to overrule upcoming CRTC decisions. "If the Heritage Minister is prepared to start telling the CRTC what to do, then we hope he'll stand up for the right of Canadians to access Canadian content on our airwaves and make sure we aren't being fleeced by big cable," said Ferne Downey, ACTRA National President.    -more-

Sure, 'local TV matters,' but so does Canadian programming
By ROBB WELLS, Oct. 17, 2009
Content seems to get lost in the fight between broadcasters and cable firms

Ever wonder why we have Canadian cable companies and Canadian broadcasters, if all they air is American programming and still charge us a fortune? Couldn't we just cut out the middle-man and pay NBC directly for their TV shows? OK, I'm being facetious. But with cable bills on the rise, broadcasters threatening to close local stations and less Canadian programming on TV, lots of Canadians are asking themselves these questions.   -more-

August 10, 2009
RE: Australian performers on strike

Attention all ACTRA members:
Australian actors are now on strike and will not work on offshore TV commercials shot in Australia until an agreement is reached with the Screen Producers? Association of Australia (SPAA). An overwhelming majority (98%) of Australia's actors voted to strike on offshore television commercials if a deal with the Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) could not be reached.    -more-