Gawker: evil corporations in action

Irena Briganti, The Most Vindictive Flack In The Media World

Hamilton Nolan — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:54:23 EDT

So, David Carr has gone and pulled the curtain back a bit on Fox PR—the single most vicious PR operation in all the media. Good for him. So let's do our part by zeroing in on the one flack who is the face of Fox's feared, vengeful media relations operation. Her name is Irena Briganti. She's the female alter ego and mouthpiece of Fox boss Roger Ailes (pictured). She's been described as bubbly and charming in person. But she's the one holding the bloody hatchet that Fox regularly brings down right on reporters' heads. Here's everything you need to know about the scariest flack in mediadom:

Who is she?

Briganti is Fox's VP of media relations, and #2 in the PR command structure under Brian Lewis. But if Lewis sets the tone, Briganti is the one who carries out the executions. Here's a very abbreviated list of her all time hits:

When Anderson Cooper chided Fox for running with a false report of Obama going to a Muslim school, Briganti responded with, "Yet another cry for attention by the Paris Hilton of television news, Anderson Cooper.”
Briganti attributed Keith Olbermann's attacks on Bill O'Reilly to his "personal demons, and said "In the meantime, we hope he enjoys his paranoid view from the bottom of the ratings ladder and wish him well on his inevitable trip to oblivion.”

When Christiane Amanpour said CNN and Fox were intimidated by the Bush administration and practiced self-censorship in the run-up to the Iraq war, Briganti responded, "Given the choice, it's better to be viewed as a foot soldier for Bush than a spokeswoman for al-Qaeda."

How did she get so notorious?

Briganti's real reputation was not earned by zingers about famous cable talking heads; it was earned with a conscious, longstanding policy of publicly bullying average beat reporters who wrote straight news that was not to Fox's liking. She once insinuated that a WSJ reporter wrote a story about Fox that the network didn't like because her hormones were acting up (the reporter was pregnant at the time). She and her colleagues routinely complain to reporters' bosses and try to get them in trouble with their editors for the crime of not praising Fox well enough.

She's famous for blacklisting reporters who do not cover Fox the way it wants to be covered. Whereas most media operations strive to present a professional face even if they hate a certain reporter, Fox does the opposite. One reporter told me that Irena blacklisted him and even turned him down for a requested tour of the Fox studios because she felt his coverage was negative. Also blacklisted in the past were an AP reporter and a Baltimore Sun reporter. The notable thing is that these are not commentators that Fox disagrees with; these are regular, run-of-the-mill TV reporters, reporting fact-based news, who were blacklisted because said facts disagreed with Fox.

Strangely, nearly everybody who's met Briganti in person says she's nice and personable. One reporter heard that when Irena first started going to Fox press events in New York, she was outed to reporters as a rather bubbly person. That undermined her queen-of-mean persona, and she had to cut back on her events schedule—or at least be a bit less nice. Others say that Briganti was in fact a nice person before she got to Fox, and that being there has turned her soul dark.

That may be because she is the mouthpiece of Fox chief Roger Ailes, the former Nixon hatchet man who loves to run Fox and its PR operation as if it was locked in a nasty political campaign. Since the golden rule of PR is that a flack is only as evil as her clients, it makes sense that Briganti would develop a reputation as a rare, unvarnished attack dog in media flackdom. She learned from the best.

When I worked at PRWeek a couple of years ago, I tried to write a profile of Briganti. This, after several people who had dealt with her assured me that she was the single meanest flack in the entire media world (which is true). I sent emails out to a list of people in the media that Briganti had publicly insulted. And what happened? Some turned me down, citing fear of her. Some didn't respond, out of fear. And one, in what I still consider to be the biggest bitch move I ever saw as a reporter, ran straight to Irena, telling her that a PRWeek reporter was out to smear her. This—from a reporter who had already been publicly smeared by Briganti—is akin to the kid whose response to being bullied is to grovel and try to please the bully further.

Briganti expertly strung me along for months, promising interviews in the near future and then pushing back the date continuously. Eventually the profile fell apart and never got written. She's good at what she does. She is still quite willing to offer negative tidbits about her competitors to this day.

Here's some more Briganti insight, culled from my own experience and what other reporters have told me:

She is the single most blatant horse trader for stories in the entire media business. That means she will tell a reporter, "I'll give you this tidbit of news, but in return you have to write a negative story about this or that element of our competitors." When a reporter takes the tidbit but doesn't do Fox's bidding with the other fluff or nasty story (as no respectable reporter would), that reporter goes on Fox's shit list, and is subject to have a negative item about them planted by Briganti. This kind of blatant favor trading and retaliation would make PR people from, say, the Times or MSNBC laugh or shudder. Fox is the only practitioner of this level of media PR bloodsport.
Some PR people have decided not to apply for jobs at Fox—jobs they could use—solely because of Briganti's bad reputation.
Briganti and Fox routinely refuse to participate in any news story that also mentions CNN. They try to convince reporters to cut CNN out of television stories entirely in order to get quotes from Fox.
We hear that even some within News Corp's corporate PR department (separate from Fox's specific PR department) dislike Briganti, because her bloody-hatchet reputation frankly makes the entire company look like a bunch of crazy people. Which doesn't go over well in corporate boardrooms. But Briganti, as Ailes' mouthpiece, seems to be untouchable.

Does it work?

This is the real question: does Fox's fixation on retaliation and fear tactics aimed at the working press actually benefit the network? Well, they certainly work in the sense of making reporters fear them; David Carr himself writes about the "series of alarms" that go off in his head when he writes any story about Fox News. One tipster asked about Briganti eagerly volunteered information (and called her a "cunt,") but added, "I can't be attached to this in any shape or form. Or she'll get me."

But does fear equal good media relations? In the short term, it can serve to temper negative stories about Fox. But it also serves to temper reporters' enthusiasm for any good items about Fox. And long term, it creates a press corps united in its hatred and resentment of your company.

Fox News'—and Briganti's—main mistake is attacking the normal, workaday reporters with such angry gusto. It's one thing to go after Keith Olbermann. It's another to go after beat reporters at trade magazines and newspapers who are simply doing their jobs. Ever so slowly, despite their skittishness and fear, media reporters will coalesce against Fox in a seething mass, just waiting for the chance to get their revenge for Briganti's slights.

And though one of Briganti's favorite pastimes is leaking to blogs, she'll come to find that her detractors can do the same thing just as easily. Blogs are far less likely to cower in the face of a threat of "denied access." And even papers like the Times are getting salty these days, as you can tell by Carr's piece. Smart PR people have found, with long experience, that it's better to try to treat people fairly and take negative stories in stride. Karma can be a bitch.

[And if you've dealt with Briganti and have some stories to tell? Recorded one of her tirades? Have emails to forward? And for god's sake, does anyone have a picture of this woman? Email us.]

Did Fox News Smear Timesman Tim Arango?

Ryan Tate — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 21:50:59 EDT

Last week, Fox News aired nasty Photoshopped pictures of two Times journalists responsible for a story about Fox losing ground among younger viewers. But it sounds like the cable network may have done much worse to another Times reporter, Tim Arango, who wrote a similar article in March. In his column for tomorrow's paper, Times media columnist David Carr recounts tales of Fox's dirty-politics-style PR tactics against journalists from his paper, the Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press and others. One story, in particular, stands out:

Earlier this year, a colleague of mine said, he was writing a story about CNN’s gains in the ratings and was told on deadline by a Fox News public relations executive that if he persisted, “they” would go after him. Within a day, “they” did, smearing him around the blogs, he said. (I did not ask him for a comment because the information was of a private nature.)

Carr never names the colleague in question, but we hear it is media reporter Tim Arango. The facts line up: For the March 5 edition, Arango wrote a story about CNN gaining on Fox News among young viewers thanks to the Democratic presidential primary.

The day the story appeared, Jossip reported rumors that Arango "just returned to the Times after two months of 'medical leave,' which many allege may have been a stint in rehab."

Jossip also alleged that Arango had written flattering articles about CNBC in an attempt to secure a job with the financial news network, and hinted his CNN article was an attempt to do the same.

Fox PR, it seems, delivered the revenge they promised Arango, and in a particularly personal form — all for basic journalistic coverage of their ratings dip. Arango once worked at the Post, and as a former member of the News Corp. tribe may have been targeted for especially harsh treatment. But the smear against him would clearly have been meant to send a message to all journalists covering Fox News, or at least those clued in enough to know what was happening, such as Arango's colleagues at the Times: any attempt at fair and balanced coverage of the network itself would be severely punished.

Fox News chief Roger Ailes, like his former boss Richard Nixon, has been running a down-and-dirty campaign against opponents who, due to self-imposed ethical constraints, feel unable to respond in kind. As more of his tactics are exposed, the question becomes whether Ailes will be pressured to rein in his PR machine, or whether his self-created enemies, like the Times, will start throwing some mud of their own.

As Carr noted in his column:

Part of me — the Irish, tribal part — admires Fox News’s ferocious defense of its guys. I work at a place where editors can make easy sport of teasing apart your flawed copy until it collapses in a steaming pile, but Lord help those outsiders who make an unwarranted or unfounded attack on me or my work. Our tactics may be different, but we, too, are strong for our posse.

A Times "posse??" Please let it involve leather chaps and boots with spurs on them, and also an alliance with a bandana-wearing Keith Olbermann.

[Times]

Sci-Fi Channel Destroying Definition Of Science Fiction

Ryan Tate — Mon, 19 May 2008 05:58:43 EDT

Have you ever flipped over to the Sci Fi Channel and wondered why it was showing wrestling, or a series about superheroes' naughty wives, or a movie like Field of Dreams or Indiana Jones? It's because this sort of brand dilution is the only way to reach women and thus grow ratings, Sci Fi President Dave Howe believes. He told the Times, "It’s not just aliens, spaceships and the future... It’s about asking that simple question, 'What if?'" His NBC cylon overlord Bonnie Hammer found a more menacing way to say the same thing:

"We had to broaden the channel to change the misconceptions of the genre... that it was for geeky young men."

Amazing, then, that I know two women once far more into Sci Fi Channel mainstay Battlestar Gallactica than I, at least until the plot took a turn for the sappy, despite the fact that it features both spaceships and the future. And my favorite Sci Fi blog is even edited by a woman.

But of course the channel can always count on those sorts of hard-core fans tuning in, even if the name is disastrously changed to "the Imagination Channel" as once discussed, according to the Times article. In the meantime network executives are trying to build a global mega-brand, and to them the "Sci Fi" in "Sci Fi Channel" is best viewed, as Howe puts it, as merely an advantageous "signpost" amid "the fragmentation of media," albeit one with a "downside" — the downside being that the channel taken at face value, and believed to be sci fi in nature, when in fact it wants to be So Much More, and thus so much less.

[Times]

BREAKING: Monster Murdoch Moves WSJ 'Pepper... And Salt' Cartoon!

Ryan Tate — Mon, 05 May 2008 02:38:39 EDT

The Wall Street Journal has a cartoon called "Pepper... And Salt" which — and I did not know this after 12 years of reading the Journal — has been "edited since 1950 by Charles Preston... [and] is culled from hundreds of submissions each week." Anyway, the 'toon was once in the paper's Arts & Leisure section, and it must have been too controversial (ahem) because it was moved to the editorial page in April 2007. But now Rupert Murdoch is pretty much personally editing the whole Journal, and "Pepper... And Salt" is moving back to Arts & Leisure. Why? Possibly so the right-leaning media mogul can unleash a horrifying "Murdochian brand of editorial cartoon!" Reports the Times :

“Murdoch’s papers are known for their great editorial cartooning,” said Rex Babin, the editorial cartoonist for The Sacramento Bee. Mr. Babin noted that Pepper’s targets — the foibles of offices and other institutional oddities of American life — were not distinctly editorial in nature, and The Journal page might benefit from an actual conservative editorial cartoonist, as opposed to a feature cartoon whose spiritual sibling is The New Yorker.

Ah, yes, the brilliant editorial cartoons of the Murdoch papers. Like that Sean Delonas over at the Post.

[Times]

NBC "Family Hour" Hosted "MILF Island"

Ryan Tate — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 21:03:29 EDT

That "MILF Island" episode of 30 Rock everyone was talking about Friday? In which 20 hot moms square off in front of 50 eighth-grade boys at "Erection Cove?" It aired during NBC's "Family Hour," in which the whole family is supposed to be able to gather in front of the TV together. NBC executive Ben Silverman re-launched the concept just 10 days ago. Anyone who took the man at his word — and hopefully few people did — either had a very awkward night or has a very interesting family. Now NBC is trying to rewrite what it meant by "family hour." Here's network exec Mitch Metcalf in tomorrow's Times:

Mr. Metcalf said that the family-hour designation should be seen as offering “direction for program development,” not “black-and-white expectations” for the audience.

“It was not to be construed as a return to a strictly defined family hour,” he said, featuring wholesome shows like “Little House on the Prairie,” a hit on NBC in the late 1970s and early ’80s.

Below, a brief reminder of what NBC's not-so-"strictly-defined" family hour now looks like. It was kind of bizarre to slot 30 Rock into a family hour to begin with.

[Times]

Publisher To Take Out Frustrations On You, Your Bookstore, Entire World

Ryan Tate — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 04:45:01 EDT

HarperCollins Publishers decided that the book biz is too hard these days so it's going to try and get everyone else to do its job for it. Its books don't sell? That's the bookstores' problem; HarperCollins' new division will take no returns, or at least that's the goal. Writers need to eat while writing? That's what crippling credit card debt is for, losers; the new unit will pay "low or no advances," according to the Times, preferring to only fork out cash when it has made whatever it defines as a profit on a book. Here, the executive in charge of the new division explains how all this benefits you, the struggling writer. Just kidding, here's how he says it makes sense for his company:

"The idea is, 'Let’s take all the things that we think are wrong with this business and try to change them,'" said [Robert S. Miller, the founding publisher of Hyperion], 51. "It really seemed to require a start-up from scratch because it will be very experimental."

This is actually great, because once writers stop getting advances maybe more of them will stop fetishizing words-on-paper-in-a-bookstore and realize there is actually a way to publish your stuff for free to the entire world without giving up most of the revenue. You still need a good editor, but there's no reason he needs to come with a dead-trees publishing company attached.

[Times]

(HarperCollins photo via Times)

Al Jazeera Too Araby For American Anchor

Ryan Tate — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:46:59 EDT

The top American anchor on Al Jazeera English left the controversial Qatar-based news network because, he said, the whole thing was getting a little too Middle Eastern. According to the Times, "headquarters in Doha provided more and more direction about the assignment of stories and the point of view... the English-language channel started to more closely resemble its larger sibling, the prominent Arabic-language channel Al Jazeera, he said." Americans and Brits have been upset about funding and alleged political interference for months. Things looked much different two years ago, when the anchor, Dave Marash, braved Stephen Colbert's show to champion the channel, arguing that Al Jazeera's English-language channel was virtually autonomous from the Arabic channel in Qatar:

See also this video of Daily Show correspondent Samantha Bee's Fox-style makeover of Al Jazeera English.

Random House Proudly Promoting Eating Disorders

Ryan Tate — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:17:52 EDT

To publicize the re-release of teen fiction series Sweet Valley High, Random House Children's Books sent a letter to journalists highlighting the changes made to the content of the 1980s paperbacks. New cover girl Leven Rambin (pictured) was not mentioned, but just to make sure preteen and teenaged girl readers are sufficiently insecure about their bodies, the publisher made the "perfect" clothing size a couple of notches more restrictive. It seems kids in the 80s lived by totally fat standards. Also, Sweet Valley High students now have their own anonymous blog, presumably to hatefully bully the fattest of their classmates. Here's a helpful chart from the Random House letter, followed by the letter itself:

Full letter:

Stoner Executive Helps Destroy Your Economy

Ryan Tate — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:58:24 EDT

This morning, former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan is warning of the worst financial crisis since World War II, the Wall Street Journal is reporting on its front page that "Banks Fear a Deepening of Turmoil," Asian stocks plunged and the federal government is financing the purchase by JP Morgan Chase of fast-collapsing investment bank Bear Stearns for less than a tenth of its stock market capitalization and about one-quarter of the value of its headquarters building. The biggest story for the moment, and the biggest single cause the current wave of fear, is the near bankruptcy of Stearns this weekend after its trading partners started asking for money owed, its credit ratings got cut and banks stopped lending the company money against even top-quality mortgage bonds. Where was the Bear Stearns' Chairman, James Cayne amid all this? Playing bridge in a tournament, a source told the Journal, until he finally returned to New York Saturday, two days after lenders starting reining in the company's credit. This is the same James Cayne embarrassed in the Times in July for playing golf amid another Stearns near-meltdown and downright humiliated in the Journal just this past November, after another time he played bridge during a company crisis, and also allegedly smoked pot:

During 10 critical days of this crisis — one of the worst in the securities firm's 84-year history — Bear's chief executive wasn't near his Wall Street office. James Cayne was playing in a bridge tournament in Nashville, Tenn., without a cellphone or an email device. In one closely watched competition, his team placed in the top third.

As Bear's fund meltdown was helping spark this year's mortgage-market and credit convulsions, Mr. Cayne at times missed key events. At a tense August conference call with investors, he left after a few opening words and listeners didn't know when he returned. In summer weeks, he typically left the office on Thursday afternoon and spent Friday at his New Jersey golf club, out of touch for stretches, according to associates and golf records. In the critical month of July, he spent 10 of the 21 workdays out of the office, either at the bridge event or golfing, according to golf, bridge and hotel records.

...Attendees say Mr. Cayne has sometimes smoked marijuana at the end of the day during bridge tournaments. He also has used pot in more private settings, according to people who say they witnessed him doing so or participated with him.

Shortly after the Journal's page one pot-and-bridge story appeared, Cayne was replaced as CEO and made non-executive chairman, but he still had enough responsibility to shareholders that he participated in negotiations over the JP Morgan acquisition this weekend.

(Photo: Bear Stearns via AP)

Angry Rapper Partners With The Man

Ryan Tate — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:39:29 EDT

Troublemaking "gangsta" rapper Ice Cube made a video taking aim at white-collar wrongdoers like Enron and Halliburton, then promptly partnered with another white-collar, white-run wrongdoer, Microsoft, which has been punished for antitrust violations on two continents and has fomented a virtual army of haters. The business deal, which includes software for Ice Cube's new internet TV network, is quite a turn for a rapper who started out in the late 1980s with raps like "Fuck the Police" and "A Bitch is a Bitch" before moving on to albums in which he called white people "devils," Korean storekeepers "little chop suey ass[es]" and basically issued repeated calls for the overthrow of various levels of government. Of course, Ice Cube and Microsoft executives do share a certain disdain for U.S. law enforcement authorities. After the jump, the press release announcing Ice Cube's hard core partnership with "the Man" of the computing world and an excerpt from his new video, in which Ice Cube name-checks Allah and makes fun of corporate criminals like the one he just went into business with.

HIP HOP LEGEND ICE CUBE READIES FOR
HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NEW ALBUM “RAW FOOTAGE”
DUE ON JUNE 17TH

AWARD WINNING RAPPER PARTNERS WITH MICROSOFT SILVERLIGHT TO BRING LIVE BROADCAST OF SxSW CONCERT PERFORMANCE TO FANS VIA UVNTV.COM

(March 10, 2008) Following a triumphant return to the mic after 6 years in 2006 with the critically acclaimed release of Laugh Now, Cry Later, which debuted at #2 on the R&B/Hip Hop sales chart and #4 on the Top 200 sales chart, making it the years highest selling independent release in hip hop, the Godfather of Gangsta Rap, Ice Cube is ready to take center stage once again with his ninth solo effort. The highly anticipated new album, titled Raw Footage will be released on June 17th courtesy of his own independent imprint, Lench Mob Records.

Raw Footage is expected to include guest features by artists such as Musiq Soulchild, Nas, Scarface and Dub C. The hip hop legend also collaborated with producers Maestro, Emile, DJ Crazy Toones, Fred Wreck, Palumbo Beats, and Teak “Da Beatsmith” Underdue and Dee Underdue to name a few.

Currently in the studio, putting the final touches on Raw Footage, Cube is also gearing up for his own headlining concert at this year’s South by Southwest (SxSW) festival in Austin, TX on March 15th at 8pm CST/9pm EST. Performing for an expected crowd of 20,000 plus fans, Cube will carry out crowd pleasing, classic material along with current hits, which includes the controversial, breakout record, “Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It” featured on his forthcoming new album.

For those not able to attend the free event, Cube has partnered up with Microsoft Corp. to live stream the performance exclusively on UVNTV.com utilizing their groundbreaking, Silverlight technology, a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering richer user experiences on the Web. Co-created by Cube and hip hop legend DJ Pooh, UVNTV is the world’s first real-time streaming television network online, complete with individual channels broadcasting unique content, a TV channel guide and broadband social network.

"We are excited to partner with UVNTV.com and SxSW to bring this live concert into the homes of people globally, using our Silverlight technology which delivers the high-def experiences that Ice Cube's fans will love," said Rob Pulciani, Microsoft’s senior marketing manager. To download Silverlight and watch Cube perform live at SxSW, visit www.uvntv.com. For more information on obtaining tickets to the concert, visit www.sxsw.com.

About Ice Cube

Known to be one of the Most Important figures in rap history, Ice Cube began his career with the Notorious West Coast Gangsta Rap Group N.W.A two decades ago. At the height of the group’s success, Ice Cube broke away to start his own solo career. His initial release, “Amerikkka's Most Wanted” (Priority, 1990) sold over a million copies. His sophomore solo effort, "Death Certificate" (Priority, 1991), a concept album about the fall and rise of the black man, debuted at #1 on the R&B Album chart, #2 on the Top 200 album chart and went on to sell over two million copies. His impressive musical career also includes the multi-platinum success of both his double album “War and Peace,” and hit albums “Lethal Injection,” “Bootlegs & B-Sides,” “The Predator,” and the gold certified, independently released “Laugh Now, Cry Later.” Ice Cube has sold over 10 million albums to date.

About Lench Mob Records

Launched in 2005 by Ice Cube and his management company The Firm, Lench Mob Records is independently owned and operated by Ice Cube.

About UVNTV.com

Launched in early 2008 and co-created by Ice Cube and DJ Pooh, UVNTV.com is the world’s first real time streaming television network online. UVNTV revolutionizes television with delivery via the internet utilizing Microsoft Corps’s groundbreaking Silverlight platform, a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering richer user experiences on the Web. Through UVNTV’s patent pending database, UVNTV rivals cable and satellite television. Beyond real-time transmission (the first on the net) UVNTV’s channels are capable of full screen DVD quality resolution, Dolby surround sound and comes complete with a channel guide with video window. Over 2 years in the making, founded by entertainers for entertainers and fans alike, UVNTV is home to the next generation of filmmakers, music makers, and onscreen talent. UVNTV is more than Broadband Television; it is a Broadband Social Network.

About Silverlight™

Microsoft® Silverlight™ is a cross-browser, cross-platform technology for delivering the next generation of media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web.

# # #

Times Speaks About How An Email Typo Triggered A Scoop

Ryan Tate — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:03:52 EST

A New York Times scoop on a possible $1 billion settlement between drug company Eli Lilly and federal prosecutors was triggered when a lawyer for Lilly accidentally sent reporter Alex Berenson (left) an email intended for his second cousin, lawyer Bradford Berenson. Portfolio, the Conde Nast business magazine, broke the story Monday and, in the days since, the Times has bent over backward minimize the role of the accidental emailer. It knocked Portfolio's scoop on the incident as overblown and wrong, and, after stonewalling that magazine, granted interviews and issued a statement to several blogs that likewise knocked Portfolio's reporting. Now Alex Berenson has appeared on NPR to discuss the incident at some length and, guess what? It turns out Porfolio wasn't so wrong after all!

After the Portfolio story, the Times said:

Mr. Berenson did receive a misdirected e-mail from Pepper, but that e-mail did not contain a detailed description of the status of the settlement talks. Mr. Berenson had known independently about the settlement talks for some time, and he obtained the details he published in the Times from sources other than Pepper.

The Portfolio version was incorrect.

What the Times didn't say is that Berenson's prior "independent" knowledge of the Lilly talks was on an off-the-record basis, as revealed in the NPR excerpt below, and that the email became the trigger for new reporting by Berenson in which Berenson described the email, a potent piece of leverage, to at least one source. Also, while the two-sentence email — read aloud in the full NPR piece — was short, it was also the the point, explaining who Eli Lilly was negotiating with, that they wanted a deal and how the feds were looking for a settlement "in the stratosphere ."

The lawyer who accidentally emailed the Times reporter clearly had him in an autocomplete contacts list; the natural question (already raised elsewhere) is "why?" Was the lawyer a source? After speaking with Berenson, NPR said the reporter has been in "disputes with the law firm... about his stories in the past," so it is possible the lawyer had emailed him complaints.

Strange, then, that Berenson has gone to such lengths to protect the emailer, including by acceding to the lawyer's request to omit the incident from his story on the topic. He also clammed up when Portfolio called, but nevertheless ended up on NPR, allegedly to set the record straight. Including about the existence of his new book, which was plugged at the end of his appearance.

[NPR/On The Media]

Wanted! Part-Time Freelancers For Full-Time Crap Jobs

Maggie — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 12:05:12 EST

Oh dippy Gourmet magazine, with your oxymoronic job ads. There's no such thing as a "full-time freelance" job, sillies! Not that the Condé Nast magazine is alone with this shifty little recruitment tactic, designed to get the most out of contractors for as little as humanly possible. So bothersome, those taxes and benefits. More exploity media job ads after the jump. Apply at your own risk!

"In-house proofreader" wanted, says the ad! You're lucky if they let you out of this house:
Go get your flack on for Web Nation Video, where they promise to teach you to "provide these Reporters and Editors the proper number of words" for "the story they desire." Pitches from Publicists—so hot right now.

Sadly, the actual duties of this CNBC position are far less fun/disgusting than they sound:

Exiting MTV Lady Prez Started As Freelancer, Is Thanked For Giving The World 'Celebreality'

Maggie — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:58:37 EST

MTV president Christina Norman called it quits yesterday, announcing her decision at a council meeting. "Something about 'the company being in a good place,' but wanting some 'time for herself,'" a source said. In a longwinded email to staff, MTV Networks president Van Toffler extolled Norman's virtues, praising her as the "architect" of "VH1's rebirth" who "gave the world 'Celebreality,' along with 'Hip Hop Honors,'" which is very nearly as noble as curing cancer! You've got to hand it to Norman for surviving 17 years at MTV, where she started as a freelance production manager: "Yes, freelance," Toffler writes. See permalancers? You too could maybe possibly someday be a somebody! Yay! Just make sure you don't get sick, because then you're totally screwed. Full announcement after the jump.

From: Toffler, Van
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 4:52 PM
To: M_MTVN__ALL
Cc: McGrath, Judy
Subject: Christina Norman

I am writing to let you know that after 17 incredibly successful years, several brilliant reinventions, multiple VMA's and scores of memorable on-air promos and creative marketing campaigns, Christina Norman has made the decision to leave MTV at the end of the month.

Christina's mark on our company is indelible and it's worth noting that she reinvented herself and our businesses along the way. She grew from a freelance production manager (yes, freelance) to lead all of the marketing efforts for MTV, including the successful launch of MTV2. In 2002, she was tapped to architect VH1's rebirth, gave the world "Celebreality" along with "Hip Hop Honors", and shepherded the network to creative and ratings highs. She brought the same talent and vision when she returned to MTV as President, reinventing our big franchise events - The VMAs and The Movie Awards, ramping up new ways for us to partner with advertisers and worked with all of you to create and define the brand vision for MTV that inspired us and helped liberate our thinking. It pains me to see Christina go, but I respect her decision to want to take the time to explore something new after 17 years, which is pretty much impossible to even think about while running the M.

Christina has led with incredible integrity, creativity, business savvy, perspective, spirit and humor, and she has championed so many important initiatives at our company and in our culture. From the launch of "thinkMTV," to breathing new life into our music initiatives with novel ideas like "52 Bands," to the historic launch of MTV Tr3s, our network for young Hispanic-Americans, to the explosive growth of mtvU and the inspirational work she has done for our company's diversity and inclusion initiative, she has made it happen.

Christina is leaving MTV in its strongest, healthiest, most diverse and vibrant incarnation—MTV's celebrated 16 years as the #1 ad supported cable network for the 12-24 demo, and last year alone MTV.com served up almost one billion videos. And there is more to come in the pipeline from the great team that we have in place. In fact, Christina made it clear that MTV's current creative vibrancy and thriving business provided her with the perfect timing to explore something new. MTV has several TV hits cranking, the fastest selling video game with "Rock Band," and a rapidly growing collection of websites. We're positioned as an industry leader with an array of verticals and Emmy Award winning virtual worlds, and we're shaking up the 2008 elections with "Street Team '08." And may I remind you that Christina does not shy away from challenges - after all, she dared to take a bet to appear on national television with an eye patch, claiming a run-in with an unwieldy mascara wand as the reason for her questionable optical attire.

It has been my great honor to work with Christina and she will always be part of the legend and success of our company. We will miss her and I personally can't wait to see what incredible feat she will conquer next with the same class and tenacity she has exemplified during her many years here. I know you join me in wishing her the very best...

1,000 MTVN Permalancers To Earn Staff Positions

Maggie — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:40:45 EST

Over 1,000 lucky MTV Networks contractors are being converted to staff from their previous freelancer status, we've been told, in a move to appease angry contractors upset over December benefit cuts. "In the HR meeting they had yesterday with the middle- to upper-management peeps that have the honor of conveying this (mostly good) news: They paused early on in their presentation to say, "By the way, this is not about the writing and the Gawker...these discussions have been going on for a long time," an MTV source said. We're sure it had nothing whatsoever to do with all those people chanting in the streets, either. And introduced by a definite article? We've arrived. Congratulations on the benefits, kids. Go nuts at the orthopedist's.
Earlier: Memo: Judgment Day On Permanent Jobs For MTV Freelancers

Memo: Judgment Day On Permanent Jobs For MTV Freelancers

Maggie — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:51:29 EST

The time has come for MTV Networks beleaguered slavey permalancers to learn their fate. Brand-new human resources lady Catherine Houser issued a memo an hour ago to the Viacom subsidiary's contractors, announcing they would learn if they were among the lucky group whose positions will be converted to staff jobs, as promised in December. On what basis will a permalancer earn job security and benefits? Among the benchmarks: "The position would be staff if there was headcount." Uhh...what? "The position transcends a specific project or show," is another. Considering that a key issue in the uproar over Viacom's benefit cuts last month centered around the frequent rotation of workers (which made it hard for them to accrue the required time needed to qualify for benefits), it sounds like MTVN has given itself a whole lot of leeway with that one. So you've been an MTVN cameraman for nine years? As far as Viacom is concerned, you only spent four months at a time on Pimp My Ride and Cribs, so you're shit out of luck, pal. God be with you, and also with you and you. Let us know how it goes. After the jump, the memo in full.

Departing HR Chief At MTV Networks Had "Great People Touch"

Maggie — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:03:12 EST

Is this what it takes to sate an angry mob of permalancers? JoAnne Griffith, the HR exec who delivered to the cable network's freelancers the news before the holidays that their benefits were being cut, is out. MTV, which was forced to reverse the cuts after a walkout by non-salaried workers, came out with the usual boilerplate on Griffith's departure. (Really, why do they even bother?) "She's been a phenomenal leader and great champion for MTV Networks,""This is a large, complex company, and with JoAnne’s great human touch and innovative approach to HR, we continue to set a high bar and strive for the best for you," an internal email sent this morning to MTV employees reads. Irreplaceable? No. Replacement Catherine Houser, "has the people skills, innovative ideas, and passion for our company and its employees that we need in an HR leader." Phew. Email and official release after the jump.

WGA Strike At Viacom: "The MTV Freelancers, What?"

Maggie — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:30:55 EST

We sacrificed vidkid Alex Goldberg to possible pneumonia and sent him to check out the joint WGA-Viacom protest outside Viacom this afternoon. There was some confusion among WGAers about what exactly they were doing in midtown, other than, you know, trying for the 39th day in a row to get paid or something. "The MTV freelancers, what?" said one guy, dismissing us swiftly by explaining that "It's the Viacom building so it's very high-profile." You don't say! Any thoughts on the never-ending writers strike, the length of which is inching us closer and closer with each passing day to watching The World's Most Smartest Model? "I thought they resolved that a couple weeks ago," someone walking out of the Viacom building told us. "I don't really go to Broadway shows," he apologized. Uh....

Boss Tweed makes a comeback outside the ...

Maggie — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:00:18 EST

Boss Tweed makes a comeback outside the offices of MTV Networks this morning! Hey, at least he's marginally cuter than the Union Rat, who's needed a serious upgrade since, like, 1974. Viacom is having an information session for freelancers on benefits changes today, according to Mediabistro. When? At the same time as the WGA-MTV protest of course! Tricky and clever!

Fountain Pens To The Ready! WGA Teams Up Today With MTV Freelancers

Maggie — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:30:24 EST

"Viacom will double its revenue from digital this year," reads this flier from the Writers Guild of America, members of which will demonstrate alongside Viacom "freelancers" this afternoon at 1pm. Where do they come by this information? From remarks made this year by Viacom CEO Sumner Redstone. Ha! That'll teach you to talk up your company's cash flow just before yanking benefits in a move towards "efficiency"!

In Major Reversal, Viacom Returns Healthcare To Freelancers

Maggie — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:27:08 EST

In a memo issued this afternoon, MTV Networks performed a near-180, relenting to complaints from freelancers who were told last week their benefits would be cut. "We've implemented a process for evaluating freelance and temporary employee positions for possible conversion to staff positions," reads the announcement from JoAnne Griffith, MTVN's executive vice president for HR. "This process is currently underway." Freelancers will now have the choice to continue with their current health plan—including dental!—or sign on to MTV's Aetna plan. Either way, they won't have to make the decision until February of next year, nearly three months after the original deadline set by the company last week. Full memo after the jump.

From: Office Of JoAnne Griffith
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 2:53 PM
To: M_MTVN__ALL
Subject: More Important News for Freelance and Temporary Employees

As you know, we've been holding information sessions over the past several days to discuss our freelance and temporary employee benefits. We've had many insightful conversations and heard a number of your specific concerns.

As a result of the input you've given to us directly through the sessions and your managers, we want to announce the following changes:

· We are expanding our freelance and temporary medical and dental benefits options to include the United Healthcare plan under which many of you are currently covered. This means anyone who is eligible for benefits in 2008 can opt for medical and dental coverage with United Healthcare at the current rate of contribution, or you can elect instead to enroll in the newly offered Aetna plan.

· The Aetna plan has certain advantages that may make it the preferred option for many of our freelance and temporary employees. Based on your input, however, we want to make sure that those of you who prefer the United Healthcare plan have that option.

· As a result of this change, the freelance and temporary employee payroll conversion to Cast and Crew has been delayed until February 1, 2008. Therefore, the December 14th deadline to submit your Cast and Crew paperwork has been postponed. We will inform you of the new deadline early in the New Year.

· We've implemented a process for evaluating freelance and temporary employee positions for possible conversion to staff positions. This process is currently underway and decisions will be communicated by January 31st, 2008.

In order to address additional questions, HR representatives will be available to discuss individual circumstances and concerns at the following times and locations:

· New York: Thursday, December 13th
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
1515 Broadway, Conference Room 44-02

· Los Angeles: Thursday, December 13th
11:00 a.m.
2600 Colorado Ave., 5th Floor LEG Room

Employees in other regions should contact their HR representative directly with any questions or concerns.

Viacom Walkout #2: MTV Shamed Into Hiding Their Times Square View

Sheila — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:40:57 EST

On Day 2 of The Great Viacom Walkouts of 2007 in Times Square, the "freelancers" were really getting organized. There were better signs ("This is a Kurt Loder of Crap"), more literature ("Let's Find Out If We Really Are Freelancers?"), and a list was being circulated of everyone's personal email addresses, "so we can organize a website that people can go to for information." A union rep from the Radio-Television Broadcast Engineers Union was circling the crowd, and by 3:30 people were already spouting the party line: "Unless we have some sort of collective bargaining agreement, they can do whatever they want to us," one guy said.

"The dirty little secret is that they used to treat us like staff but called us freelancers," said a fellow in animation, a "freelancer" of eight years. Another guy who's been there for three years actually left the company for ESPN, where he made more money, but then came back for Viacom's benefits.

So are they really freelancers? "No," said an editor of four years. "Why? Because we come in and work at the same place every day, don't work on equipment we own, have taxes taken out of our paychecks, and report to people who are staff."

"No," said Jesus Sanchez, the Radio-Television Broadcast Engineers Local 212 rep, whose union represents workers at CBS, Madison Square Garden, and United Nations technicians. "They're steady employees, work for a specific company, and have taxes taken out of their paycheck."

But will Viacom listen? "They're gonna have to listen," Sanchez said grimly.

At 3:40 p.m., people inside the MTV studios above the demonstration climbed ladders and closed the curtains on all the windows facing the street.

At 3:45 p.m., NY1 showed up and set up a camera. The crowd got even more riled.

"Call your HR rep every single day and let them know you're unhappy!" shouted a gentleman into a bullhorn. Oh, they will.

And they will also walk out again, both tomorrow, we hear, and then again on Thursday, in conjunction with the WGA. More unions will continue to offer their support, and Viacom will continue to look bad. And suddenly this little cost-cutting maneuver, in a year when Viacom has made healthy profits, won't seem like such a good idea after all.

Elsewhere: Viacom's own blogs are even protesting now.

Viacom Freelancers: "We Want Teeth"!

Maggie — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:00:45 EST

Video guy Nick McGlynn hung out this afternoon with the outraged Viacom contractors. (Freelancers? Permalancers? Slave labor?) Actual employees in the eyes of the law, probably, considering how one staffer described her freelance staff. "They're here everyday, these guys comes in Monday to Friday, Saturday, Sunday, weekends, holidays, everything, to work and make this channel run," she told us. Steady paychecks render such commitment completely obsolete—most fully employed people we know support a wide-ranging interpretation of the conventional five-day-workweek. Best slogan heard at the (first!) Viacom Networks Walkout Of 2007: "No one sucks dick for free." (Also great: "No pills, no 'Hills.'" Ha!) Damn straight—we don't even tongue-kiss for anything less than one employer-sponsored retirement plan and a reasonable deductible.

How To Tell If You're A Freelancer Or An Employee

Maggie — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 17:30:53 EST

Is anyone confused by all the fuss over freelancer benefits in the Viacom mess? Freelancer, permalancer, part-time employee, full-time employee: What's the difference anymore? Why are Viacom's independent contractors complaining about having their benefits cut when the general impression is that freelancers don't qualify for benefits in the first place? Where does the actual, you know, law come down on this issue? And do most media companies abide by it? Let's learn more!

The basics of freelancing: Contractors complete a piece of work in exchange for a fee, not a salary. They can't be bound by specific hours or be required to attend meetings or work at the office. Employers aren't actually required to provide health or retirement benefits to anyone. If they're big enough, most companies provide those benefits at some level in order to get and keep happy employees. But if they provide benefits to some employees, they have to provide them for all. And that's where it gets sticky, because many freelancers, whether they know it or not, fit the (maddeningly loose) definition of employee.

There is no legal definition for an independent contractor, but courts uphold the common law definitions of "master" and "slave." That's less fun than it sounds. Whether someone is an employee or a contractor is based on the amount of control their boss has over them. The implied relationship determines if you're a contractor or an employee, entitled to the benefits every other employee gets. Vague enough? Sound like you're in a relationship with a high-strung high-schooler?

You're Basically An Employee If:

Your employer gives you company equipment to complete your work.

You have to get prior permission to take a day off.

You spend all your time working for one company—likely you don't have the time to work for anyone else.

You submit oral or written reports to our boss.

Your employer trained you for your position.

Your employer bought, trained and supervises your lovely assistant.

You have your own work station on company premises.

The business couldn't maintain its success or performance without your services. (In reality, not just in your mind!)

You're reimbursed for expenses.

You've been instructed where, when, or how to complete the job you've agreed to. (Having a picky boss doesn't qualify.)

None of these are legal definitions and many companies blur the lines. Newspapers and magazines, who often fill their pages with freelance work, occasionally set up "freelance stations," where a contractor can work, sometimes daily, without being given their own station and thus qualifying for employee status.

Not every employer is out to exploit cheap labor. In the media industry in particular, a company is hard-pressed not to use freelance workers. Many of the most ambitious contractors are young and happy to do the work for a byline or are established enough to want independence—both are attractive. Giving those people steady work or a few perks seems only natural. Unfortunately for employers, it also qualifies them for more.

In September, Governor Spitzer issued an executive order [PDF] establishing the Joint Enforcement Task Force On Employee Misclassification. Spitzer's order rattled the cages of a few media companies—the governor wants to look under rocks most of them would prefer remain undisturbed.

Viacom may have faced a choice common to media companies: eliminate benefits to independent contractors, or hire them on as employees. Take away paid vacation, company-provided healthcare and a retirement plan, and it becomes a lot easier to make the case that a freelancer is just a freelancer. Many newspapers spent the summer cleaning house in anticipation—those who haven't may find themselves in a bind.

The Writers Guild of America East is marching ...

Maggie — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:15:54 EST

The Writers Guild of America East is marching on Viacom Thursday morning! "Students and future members of the Writers Guild will join us to march with us, learn about the issues of our strike and show their support," reads a description of the event on their website. Hey, the longer the picket line, the shorter the strike—but will there be stickers and t-shirts? Let us know!

The MTV Networks Holiday Party

Maggie — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:21:37 EST

Last night, video guy Richard Blakeley and I headed down to the Hammerstein Ballroom to ask Viacom freelancers how they were, you know, feeling about getting Scrooged just in time for the holidays. Are they all revved up for the planned strike on Monday? "What strike?" said one guy. We're also thinking about adopting the kid who told us that he's currently unattached but if "he or she were, he would be at home." Oh honey, it really is probably time to give up the ghost on that "she" pronoun. Adorable. Inside, a huge glass snow globe was set up on stage; hired actors had a protracted "snowball" fight in it all night. Excessively pricey street theater is an oxymoron, we think. (Particularly indoors!) Very few senior managers were in attendance, though CEO Judy McGrath showed up briefly. Brave. Bonus! More party pix after the jump.

Viacom Apologizes To Permalancers, Returns 401Ks To Some

Maggie — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:25:37 EST

Viacom finally got it together enough yesterday to address the fact that they'd seriously mishandled the announcement of major cuts to freelancer benefits."We understand there are many valid questions, concerns and bad feelings around the new policies for freelance, in-house and project-based temporary employees and the way they were communicated," reads a memo issued late yesterday from executive vice president of human resources, JoAnne Griffith. "We are listening closely to the response and moving to quickly address the questions and concerns by making some immediate changes, based on your feedback." Was that really so hard? Where have you been all week, JoAnne?

Changes to employee benefits and responsibilities happen, even if you're a giant like Viacom. Shaving costs is part of running a business, especially one in an industry whose prototype is changing rapidly. That said, there's a way to give bad news to employees (even those oh-so-lowly contractors!) and a way not to. Communicating the changes through HR reps unarmed with the salient details? Not recommended. Burying (or not mentioning!) the most significant of those changes in whatever paperwork you do give out? Not recommended. Giving your staff four days to stew (and organize!) before you address their issues? Not at all recommended. Allowing even a few of them to learn about the changes from the Internets? Not recommended.

At least the full memo offers some concessions to permalancers.

_____________________________________________
From: Office Of JoAnne Griffith
Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2007 5:01 PM
To: M_MTVN__ALL
Subject: Important Communication For Freelancers and Temporary Employees

We understand there are many valid questions, concerns and bad feelings around the new policies for freelance, in-house and project-based temporary employees and the way they were communicated. We are listening closely to the response and moving to quickly address the questions and concerns by making some immediate changes, based on your feedback.

First, on the changes, we are going to do the following:

We are accelerating and expanding eligibility to enable freelance, in-house and project-based temporary employees who have been working with us consistently since March 1, 2007 to have grandfathered eligibility for the new plan as of January 1, 2008.

Second, we are going to offer all grandfathered benefits-eligible employees and Nickelodeon Animation Studios (NYC and Burbank) the opportunity to participate in a new 401K plan, open for enrollment in first quarter, 2008.

Finally, we have extended the deadline to submit new start paperwork and deal memos to Cast and Crew to Friday, December 14th.

In order to answer the questions and concerns that are being raised, HR representatives, including myself, will be available for benefit information sessions for all freelance and temporary employees on:

Friday, December 7th, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Conference Room 44-02

Tuesday, December 11th, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Conference Room 44-02

Thursday, December 13th, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Conference Room 44-02

Catherine Houser will be providing details about information sessions on the West Coast and in the regions.

We understand that some of the changes are not being well-received and we appreciate your feedback. To put them in context, all benefits programs in our company and in our industry have undergone change, and our new programs and policies are still highly competitive with the rest of our industry. On the plus side, we no longer require that freelancers and temporary employees work with us consistently for a year before becoming eligible for benefits, but rather they will need to work 1,280 hours (seven months based on a 40-hour work week).

We hope that this is a good first step in responding to your feedback, and we look forward to continuing to address your questions and concerns.

Who's Getting In The MTV Networks Holiday Party Tonight And Who's Not

Maggie — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:52:32 EST

"MTVN Freelance, Temp and Animation employees hired on or before October 12th that are paid through in-house payroll and have received a direct deposit receipt or paycheck on all four of the following consecutive dates: October 18, October 25, November 1 and November 8." And there's more! Full memo after the jump.

NEW YORK MTVN HOLIDAY PARTY 2007
STAFF / FREELANCE / TEMP / ANIMATION
INVITATION GUIDELINE

WHO IS INVITED?
All MTVN Staff employees hired up, and to, date-of-party, Thursday, December 6th.

MTVN Freelance, Temp and Animation employees hired on or before October 12th that
are paid through in-house payroll and have received a direct deposit receipt or paycheck
on all four of the following consecutive dates: October 18, October 25, November 1 and
November 8.

INVITATION PICK UP LOCATIONS
Staff invitations will be distributed, via interoffice mail, starting Thursday, November 15th
(following the release of Judy McGrath's annual company-wide Holiday Party
Save-The-Date announcement).

FREELANCE / TEMP / ANIMATION INVITE DISTRIBUTION
All Freelance / Temp / Animation invitations will be distributed from the same location,
The Lodge / South Dining Room, on the dates and times listed below:

The Lodge / South Dining Room
Thursday, November 29 from 11:45AM to 3:00PM
Thursday, December 6 from 11:45AM to 3:00PM

Group / List ticket pick-up will occur on the same dates / location, but at a different time:
3:00PM to 4:00PM only. Lists should be alphabetized by Last Name.

FLYER
A Freelance / Temp / Animation flyer, which contains invite eligibility information, missed
invite information (for those who do qualify for an invite) e-mail contact information (for
invite status) as well as invite pick-up location and times, will be distributed throughout
all NYC building locations starting Monday, November 19th and will also be available at
Freelance, Temp and Animation check pick-up starting Wednesday, November 21.

RUFUS
Party information for New York and Los Angeles employees, including dates/locations
and eligibility will be posted on the RUFUS home page starting Thursday, November
15th (following Judy McGrath's e-mail announcement).

POTENTIAL HOLIDAY PARTY QUESTIONS AND PLANNED RESPONSES

HOW CAN AN EMPLOYEE THAT MEETS THE CRITERIA BUT DIDN'T RECEIVE AN
INVITATION, RECEIVE ONE?
Employees should send an e-mail to holidaylistny@mtvstaff.com. E-mails must be
received by no later than Monday, December 3 to be considered.

Each individual request will be researched and if the individual is found to qualify, they
will receive an invitation. Either way, the employee will receive an e-mail response within
48 hours. All inquiries must be sent by EMAIL. Phone inquiries will not be
accommodated!

WILL FREELANCE / TEMP / ANIMATION EMPLOYEES HIRED BETWEEN
OCTOBER 12 AND THE DATE OF THE PARTY, DECEMBER 6, BE INVITED?
We will not be able to accommodate or add anyone that has been hired after the
October 12 cut-off date and the date of the party.

WHAT ABOUT FREELANCE / TEMP / ANIMATION EMPLOYEES THAT WORKED
ALL DATES PRIOR TO THESE SELECTED PAY DATES?
In order to manage overall invite numbers, pay dates were selected based upon their
proximity to the party date, and within a manageable accounting timeframe, to determine
the invite list; unfortunately, that means if you were not paid on all of these selected
dates, you did not meet the criteria to receive an invitation to the party.

HOW CAN AN EMPLOYEE THAT DOESN'T MEET THE CRITERIA BE ADDED TO
THE LIST?
We can not accommodate any exceptions.

WHO ELSE DID NOT RECEIVE AN INVITATION??
All outside consultants, third party vendors; outside agency temp employees;
independent contractors; interns; freelance employees paid through an outside payroll
company; employees (staff or non-staff) that are on a leave of absence that extends
beyond December 6, 2007; employees on L-T-D.

MTV Networks Employees Plan Walkout For Monday

Maggie — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:00:38 EST

MTV Networks employees are planning a walkout for Monday afternoon, and are spreading the word: "What do we do? Suck it up and deal? Leave the company? There is a third option—50% of the company stands up and says 'WE DO NOT ACCEPT THESE TERMS.'" Walking out is generally associated with student protest groups, like the East Los Angeles students who attracted attention to their cause in 1968 by leaving school grounds en masse. It's a more than telling association—freelance workers have so little leverage within their companies that they're forced to resort to dissent tactics employed by groups whose only bargaining chip is attendance.

Viacom Freelancers Disinvited From Tonight's Holiday Party?

Maggie — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:30:27 EST

"Word has it that Viacom permalancers will be barred from their holiday party tonight over concerns that there will be protests/disturbances related to the decision to slash benefits and salaries," an insider tells us. "The organizers of the holiday party are concerned about the bad press and potential for outbursts." Bad press! Outbursts! We are shocked! "Employees are afraid to contact Viacom security to find out of (sic) this is true." We were less (slightly) afraid, but when we got through to MTV's security desk and asked whether freelancers would be allowed at tonight's holiday shindig, a security guard, sounding more than a little cranky, said "I have no idea," and promptly hung up on us. Cheeky! Not like we can blame the guy, what with the headache he's got in keeping all those rowdy sticker-making, t-shirt-screening non-employee "employees" in line. So? What's the haps? We're sure Viacom wouldn't do something this stupid—oh, wait.

Previously: MTF WTF
Earlier: MTV Permalance Troops To Attack Holiday Party (With T-Shirts)

MTV WTF

Maggie — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:55:08 EST

Not content to limit themselves to revolt-by-t-shirt, MTV contractors have slipped these stickers under the doors of all their colleagues this morning, and asked fellow employees to "Please support your current and future freelance friends and colleagues by wearing this sticker tonight at the holiday party." Says a worker: "They are all over the floor and under the door of every office and on every desk. ROCK IT!"

MTV Permalance Troops To Attack Holiday Party (With T-Shirts)

Maggie — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:40:35 EST

The MTVN freelancers' petition we'd found its way to us just now and these downtrodden drudges have a plan! It includes subterfuge and silk-screening. "Wear your custom permalance T-shirt Thursday night at the Holiday Party," the petition suggests. "In addition to getting drunk and making out with co-workers Thursday night, let's make a statement!" Rioting contractors are encouraged to conceal their fightwear under whatever proper party attire they can afford. The full outrage is after the jump.

To all of you PERMALANCERS out-there in the MTVN family, To all of you staffers with a permalancer-heart or a permalancer friend, To all of your friends/peers and their friends/peers, (you know the drill pass this along to anyone you know who needs to take a stand)
WHAT IS HAPPENING TO US IS OUTRAGEOUS AND YOU KNOW IT.
We all want our benefits, we all work hard, we all want security.

In addition to getting drunk and making out with co-workers Thursday night, let's make a statement! We don't have to be all "aggro" to make a point. Take the attachments of your preference and iron it on a white t-shirt. Let this uniform make our message resonate! Staples, Utrecht and Blick all sell iron-on transfer sheets cheap. They can be printed right from your inkjet.

If you can't get an iron on:
STENCIL IT
SHARPIE-MARKER IT
COLLAGE IT
PIN THE PAPER TO YOUR CHEST
STAPLE IT
WRITE IT IN BLOOD
WHAT EVER WORKS FOR YOU.

Wear your custom permalance T-shirt Thursday night at the Holiday Party. We advise you also wear a top layer to cover this shirt and take it off once you get inside. Hope to see you ALL in white tomorrow night! If you don't want to participate we also ask to keep it shush from anyone who doesn't need to know this before the party!

MTV Memo Barely Mentioned Drastic Benefits Changes

Maggie — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:20:00 EST

Was MTV trying to get away with snowing contractors into signing away benefits by just sort of, you know, not mentioning it and hoping for the best? "We were distributed the paperwork and told that we were to fill it out because MTV was changing payroll companies. There was no mention of the insurance change AT ALL," says one freelancer, who was not pleased to learn of the change in her work conditions from the Internets. Full memo after the jump.

The memo distributed with the forms mentions the company "will be transitioning payroll" for its permalancers. "We are including several items in this packet that you will need to complete and hand in to your manager in order to be paid," is about as detailed as the memo gets regarding the 3,982 other changes to the Viacom freelance life.

The actual legalese includes this particularly priceless line: "Moreover, you hereby waveforfeit, relinquish and abandon all rights of attribution and/or integrity that you may have otherwise had with respect to Works." Of course, one thing won't be changing: freelancers still aren't invited to tomorrow's MTV holiday party.

Memo explaining New Start Paperwork to freelance, in-house temp, and project-based employees
To all freelance, in-house temp, and project-based employees:

On December 22, 2007 we will be transitioning payroll for our freelance, in-house temp, and project-based employees to an outside payroll processing company, Cast & Crew. We will no longer be processing payroll in-house. For all work performed on or after December 22, 2007, payroll will be processed through Cast & Crew. If you will be working in late 2007 and/or in 2008, you will need to fill out this new start paperwork to receive paychecks (even if you submitted a "Blue Book" in the past). We will no longer be using the Blue Book.

We are including several items in this packet that you will need to complete and hand in to your manager in order to be paid by Cast & Crew in 2008.

If you will be working for more than one company, you will need to complete and submit new start paperwork for each one. For example: if you will be working for Vh1's production company (namely, New Pop Culture Productions Inc.) as well as MTV's production company (namely, New Remote Productions Inc.), you must fill in start paperwork for both companies. The name of the company (e.g., New Games Productions Inc.) is listed at the top of the forms.

This start packet includes several items:

□ Employee Information Sheet
□ Voluntary Self-Identification Form
□ I-9 Form. Please note the requirement to show documents that verify your identity and eligibility to work (employees must bring in the appropriate documents)
□ W-4 Form
□ IT-2104 (NY employees only) or
□ California Withholding Allowance Form (CA employees only)
□ Direct Deposit Authorization Form
□ Benefits 2008 sheet

There will also be new timesheets, which we will begin to use for work performed as of December 22. These will be distributed under separate cover in December.

We are asking this population to return the completed forms to their hiring managers by Friday, December 7. Then, hiring managers will forward all the packets to Cast & Crew. Feel free to submit paperwork sooner, as well.

Please address any questions to the freelance management email: [redacted]@mtvstaff.com or to the hotline: (212) 846-[redacted].

Thank you all for helping to make this important transition.

Viacom "Should Rethink The Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars In Severance Packages They Have Given To The Corporate Douchebags Who Have Left The Company In The Past Year"

Maggie — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:50:31 EST

Non-staff employees at MTV Networks had a meeting with the company's HR department this afternoon. Nearly 200 attended, and the HR person running the meeting said, "If we would've known so many of you were going to show up, we would've ordered lunch to help soften the blow." Lunch or no, it didn't go over so well! "It's a sinking ship. I think we're all fucked," is how one employee put it. Human resources had no plans to discuss any of the changes with their contractors, we're told, but supervising producers demanded the meeting take place. Attaway middlemen, tell 'em!

Permalancers that currently have health benefits will be grandfathered in; they were told that they're "lucky" enough to pay 40% of all their healthcare costs up to $25K, after which they're responsible for the whole shebang. They can also opt for some sort of "catastrophic package," which sounds like something that would have been nice to have lined up, oh, say, last week.

Freelancers, however, are not grandfathered, and will be responsible for 80% of the cost of their healthcare—that is, if they successfully jump through the hoops (1,280 hours!) required to actually qualify down the road. Details were few and far between, and the permapoorlancers don't seem much comforted that a larger meeting is planned for next week with representatives from Viacom and Aetna.

In a classic corporate moment, one intrepid 'lancer was escorted out of a meeting with HR when a staffer tattled to management that he was recording the goings-on on his PDA. Way to stick together, team.

HR demanded that he delete the recording.

Says a Viacom permalancer:

If they are doing this to save money maybe they should rethink the hundreds of millions of dollars in severance packages they have given to the corporate douchebags who have left the company in the past year—we get emails congratulating them and thanking them every few months which is the biggest slap in the face of all. I'm sure the money they are saving in screwing 14,000 people out of their benefits is helping some dickheads who need a few million more to buy another trip around the world.

The meeting ended with a speech from a VH1 person who said that none of the new initiatives were fair. The HR woman said: "It is what it is."

The Viacom Permalance Slave System

Maggie — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:25:42 EST

Here's what we hear from what we believe has truly become the Viacom sweatshop. (One Viacom permalancer estimates that almost 50% of the staff are contract workers at this point.) A 50-hour workweek will now be standard, at least at MTV Digital (which means no overtime until after 50 hours, and no overtime at all for higher-level people, like producers and segment producers), and all will go from a day rate to an hourly rate. Healthcare, which was offered to permalancers after a staggering year of service, will now be offered only to employees who have worked 1,280 hours (25 of those 50-hour workweeks) in any one division. And that's the catch: Get transfered, as often happens, from VH1 to MTV or the like, and you start over on that clock.

Here's how they were planning on telling people: Viacom sends out Christmas party invites to staff, but permalancers have to go pick them up. (Nice caste system.) So when permalancers went to pick up the invites, they were told "go across the table to pick up your new paperwork."

We hear that at least one manager will give his or her permalancers "off the books flex holiday days," but that's not a company initiative by any stretch.

What's more:

Tuition reimbursement is gone. Dental is gone. Commuter pre-tax deductions via WageWorks is gone. The healthcare goes from United Healthcare to Aetna.

Best of all: The company has asked workers to sign the paperwork before they attend the informational session that explains it.