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<DIV>Bill</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I have seen the decline of the unions in TV because of the inability to go
with the flow. There are so many stations that are now basically now only
union in name only. The advent of computer technology was the final nail
in the coffin. I watched as the unions did not recognize the need to
adapt. The UAW did it in the auto industry. I remember discussing
with people at a station that I was working at about new machines to replace the
ACR-25. The capacity would allow complete automation of the work
flow. The reaction by one person was we will strike before
they can do that. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Stations can no longer have a full time person at very high wages
stand behind a camera for a couple of hours news a day. Robotics took that
and paid for themselves. Now the server and automation are eliminating
tape. PCs are doing the editing. And the newsroom systems now do the
CG work. It has to happen with the fragmentation of the viewing
market.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>There will always be the need for the high level engineer at a
station.. But the old days of having the pocket protector and the green
screwdriver for every operator died long ago. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Chris Hill</DIV>
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