Atlas Media Responds to WGA East Reality Rally

9:15 PM PDT 4/28/2012 by Jonathan Handel

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The company points out that it’s one of the few independent non-fiction production companies to offer health insurance and retirement accounts.

Calling heath care “an industry-wide dilemma” in the non-fiction television industry, Atlas Media responded Saturday to the WGA East’s rally the previous day for pension and health benefits, overtime and other changes.

WGA East Stages Rally to Protest Atlas Media

•Labor

The company says it’s “search(ing) for creative ways to . . . bring health care access to temporary freelance workers.”

In addition, the company told The Hollywood Reporter “for 14 years, Atlas Media has been one of the few indy non-fiction production companies to actually offer health care and 401k benefits to its employees.”

The next talks between the company and the WGAE are scheduled for Monday. The guild has contended that the health and retirement benefits the company offers are inadequate, and, in addition, that those benefits should be extended to what the union contends is a large number of freelance workers at the company.

Atlas, which was founded in 1989 by writer/producer/director Bruce David Klein, produces such shows as the Travel Channel’s Hotel Impossible. The company says its programming ranges “from documentaries to docu-soaps…from reality to MOWs,” and has produced for numerous basic cable networks, including TLC, Discovery Channel, E! Entertainment, Travel Channel, A&E, National Geographic Channel, History Channel, Discovery Fit & Health, Food Network, GSN, WE: Women’s Entertainment, ID-Investigation Discovery, The Disney Channel, and USA Network, as well as national syndication, DVD/home entertainment, web channels, and distribution in 100+ markets worldwide.

Bookmark The Hollywood Reporter’s Labor Page for the most in-depth coverage of entertainment unions and guilds.

Email: jhandel@att.net

Twitter: @jhandel