SAG-AFTRA represents broadcasters employed across the country under the SAG-AFTRA Agreements and is committed to serving as an advocate for broadcasters in Arizona seeking advice and assistance with broadcast employment related questions.
Personal Service Consultation
SAG-AFTRA staff regularly reviews and consults with broadcasters about their personal service contracts. Whether or not you have an agent or attorney representing you, SAG-AFTRA’s professional staff will provide you - at no cost to you - with an analysis of your employment contract.
Please note that while we can assist you with a general analysis of your employment contract, we cannot offer you specific legal advice and the consultation should not be considered a substitute for the advice of competent legal counsel.
Arizona Non-Compete Clause
Under Arizona law, non-compete provisions are prohibited in broadcast employment contracts (A. R. S. 23-494). The 25 words that make up the core language of the law protect both "on-air" television and radio personalities and behind-the-scenes employees such as camera operators and producers. Legacy AFTRA was instrumental in the passage of the non-compete prohibitions for broadcast employment contracts in Arizona, as well as Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Washington and Washington, D.C. Similar legislation is pending in other states. The full text of the Arizona law appears below:
23-494 Noncompete clause prohibition; broadcast employees; classification; definitions:
A. As a condition of employment, it is unlawful for a broadcast employer to require a current or prospective employee to agree to a noncompete clause.
B. For the purposes of this section:
- “Broadcast Employer” means an employer that is a television station, television network, radio station or radio network.
- “Noncompete clause” means a clause in an employment contract with a broadcast employer that prohibits an employee from working in a specific geographic area for a specific period of time after leaving employment with the broadcast employer.
Broadcast Salaries
Starting reporter and anchor salaries vary widely depending on a number of factors. First, television tends to pay more than radio. Also, the geographical location of a station matters a great deal. Stations in areas with the largest market sizes (New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Chicago) generally pay more than stations located in smaller markets. Of course, salaries are typically higher at stations where there is a union contract in place, as union contracts will generally establish minimum starting scales that tend to go up with each new contract.
If you have questions about salary rates at a particular network or station, questions regarding your personal service contract or you would like to learn more about SAG-AFTRA Broadcast contracts, contact Anna Calderon in the SAG-AFTRA News & Broadcast Department at (323) 634-8117 or anna.calderon@sagaftra.org.