SFSU Broadcast & Electronic Communication Arts Course Concludes with SAG-AFTRA Guest Speakers

SAG-AFTRA San Francisco-Northern California Local broadcast member and lecturer Elaine Leung concludes each semester of her Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts, or BECA, course at San Francisco State University with guest speakers from her union. On May 8, SF-NC Local Broadcast Manager Lea Hausherr and Assistant Executive Director Dee Dee Escobedo spoke to Leung’s radio class about union membership and the broadcast agreements.

Hausherr and Escobedo’s presentation led the future broadcasters, whose potential career interests during the semester varied from sports to radio to news anchoring, through the ins and outs of the current industry. They also spoke to the advantages of working under a SAG-AFTRA agreement and the hands-on process of bargaining individual station agreements. 

Leung personally attested to the benefits of being a union member, especially in contrast to non-covered positions, and the measurable gains for members, particularly through the pandemic, as workloads and processes shifted. Students responded with astute questions and seemed encouraged to embark on careers in broadcasting.

The SFSU BECA program heralds a number of alumni currently working throughout the San Francisco-Northern California Local area.

Photo: SF-NC Local Assistant Executive Director Dee Dee Escobedo, left, and Broadcast Manager Lea Hausherr speak to SF-NC Local member Elaine Leung’s BECA students at San Francisco State University on May 8. Photo by Elaine Leung.