

NEWS RELEASE


AFTRA National Director Ray Bradford to Preside o= ver LA County<= /strong> Media Image Coalition=

LOS ANGELES (January 11, 200= 7) -- AFTRA National Director of Equal Employment Opportunities Ray Bradford is set to preside= over his first meeting of the Media Image Coalition of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations on Jan. 16 since being elected president la= st month. "I'm proud = to have the opportunity to bring my passion for civil rights, equality, and accurate media portrayals of diverse groups to the Media Image Coalition = as president, and appreciate the trust placed in me to lead the organization through these challenging times," said Bradford. Bradford= became personal= ly active in the coalition after relocating to the AFTRA National office in = Los Angeles last year. AFTRA members and staff have participated in the county coalition over many yea= rs, facilitating past retreats and serving on committees. The coalition is= an alliance of professional media associations, civil rights groups, human relations organizations, entertainment industry labor unions, religious organizations, academics, and concerned individuals committed to promoting fairness and balance in media depictions of all segments of society. = ; Bradford= has been the AF= TRA National Director of Equal Employment Opportunities since 1999. Prior to that, Bradford lived and worked in Chicago= as an actor for= over 20 years, appearing in commercials, on television, and in theater. During= his acting career, he also served AFTRA for more than 15 years as an elected officer and Board member. Bradford= became the first Latino to head a major entertainment union in Chicago= when he was ele= cted President of the AFTRA Chicago Local in 1990, an office he held for six years. He also served for six years as an AFTRA National Vice President. “Hispanic Business Magazine” named Bradford one of the 100 = most influential Hispanics in America , and he is liste= d in the “Who’s Who Among Hispanic Americans.” Established in 1= 989 by the LA County Commission on Human Relations, the Media Image Coalition represents the first multiracial, multi-cultural, inter-religious media advocacy and education organization in the United States . Coalition member organizations include representatives of NAACP, Screen Actors Guild, Media Action Network for Asian Americans, Women in F= ilm, NOSOTROS, GLAAD, American Indians in Film and Television, and American-Ar= ab Anti-Discrimination Committee, among others. For more information, visit = the coalition website at http://lahumanrelation= s.org/programs/mic/mic.htm. = ; &n= bsp; = ; &n= bsp; = ; ### About AFTRA: Members of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists -- the people who entertain and inform America -- are more 70,000 professional performers, broadcasters, and recording artists moving forward together to realize their dreams and improve their jobs and lives. With a diverse membership, AFTRA members are able to effectively engage and deal with employers from small companies to media conglomerates. AFTRA members embr= ace change in society – from new culture to new technology – and incorporate change in work and craft. Affiliated with the AFL-CIO, AFTRA members are part of a movement of working people everywhere who want jobs with fair pay, benefits, and safe working conditions. In 32 Locals across= the country, AFTRA members work as actors and other performers, broadcast journalists, dancers, singers, announcers, hosts, comedians, and disc joc= keys in all aspects of the media industries including television, radio, cable, sound recordings, music videos, commercials, audio books, non-broadcast industrials, interactive games, the Internet, and other digital media. Vi= sit www.aftra.com.