Part Three

Answers to questions posed by members at the annual
HOLA Membership Meeting January 14, 2008

Read by Manny Alfaro, A.B. Lugo, Blanca Vásquez,
Jean-Marc Berne and Raquel Gutiérrez Rivela

• - Can HOLA have 4 – 6 meetings a year?

Answer: No, It’s not possible to have 4 – 6 membership meetings like our annual membership meeting. But we have in the pipeline several workshops and seminars. If you have any ideas for tertulias or similar kinds of meetings, just call us to see if its possible.

• A union question: Will there ever be chance that cable rates match network rates?

The simple answer is no. Cable markets are fragmented and each is considered on its own merits. Since there are fewer eyeballs watching a given show in cable, the program has to be repeated with greater frequency to match network viewership. So the residual rates have to be lower to attract advertisers. This goes for television programming and commercials.

• Will there be a merger between SAG & AFTRA?

¿Quién sabe? The political climate between the unions has soured over the years. Most actors in the nation’s regions including New York, want merger. The SAG membership in Hollywood is greater than the rest of the country and they have to be convinced in sufficient numbers. The last referendum failed by only 3 percentage points. Just keep your hopes up.