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Arizona Non-Compete Law Now on the Books
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Arizona Non-Compete Law Now on the Books

With the passage of SB1042, station staffers are breathing easier. The twenty-five words that make up the core language of the law protect both "on-air" television and radio personalities and behind-the-scenes employees such as camera operators and producers. AFTRA has been instrumental in the passage of non-compete prohibitions in Arizona, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. with anti-non-compete laws on the books. Similar legislation is pending in other states. The full text of the Arizona law appears below:

2002 S.B. 1042 amending Title 23, Chapter 2, Arizona Revised Statues, by adding Article 15; Relating to Noncompete Clauses.

23-494 Noncompete clause prohibition; broadcast employees; classification; definitions

A. As a condition of employment, it is unlawful for a broadcast employer to require a current or prospective employee to agree to a noncompete clause.

B. A violation of this section is a class 1 misdemeanor.

C. For the purposes of this section:

     1. “Broadcast Employer” means an employer that is a television station, television network, radio station or radio network.

     2. “Noncompete clause” means a clause in an employment contract with a broadcast employer that prohibits an employee from working in a specific geographic area for a specific period of time after leaving employment with the broadcast employer.

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Broadcast Rates

Starting reporter and anchor salaries vary widely depending on a number of factors. First, television tends to pay more than radio. Also, the geographical location of a station matters a great deal. Stations in areas with the largest market sizes (New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Chicago) generally pay more than stations located in smaller markets. Also, stations owned by the larger networks (CBS, NBC, ABC) tend to pay more than smaller companies. Also, these traditional broadcasting companies tend to pay higher starting scales than cable operations such as CNN or MSNBC. Also, of course, salaries are higher at stations where there is a union contract in place, as union contracts will generally establish minimum starting scales that tend to go up with each new contract.

The Radio and Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) publishes a salary survey each year, which is available on their website.  Salaries at union stations are higher than the rates listed in this survey. If you have questions about salary rates at a particular station, contact the nearest AFTRA Local.