WVIA BALLROOM TAPINGS SURVEY
For the past month, a group of dancers have been meeting with Joey Shaffer from WVIA TV to resolve the problems between the dancers and the station. Having had our tapings repeatedly cancelled and having the prior tapings prempted regularly, many of our dancers have become extremely frustrated with the station. I have had some correspondence with Susan Jolley and learned that the station is taking a "hiatus" from the ballroom tapings. Joey spoke with a station representative who informed him that if we want to do tapings, we must form a "Ballroom Club" and each person must have their own WVIA membership @ $35 per year if they want to dance on TV. We must obtain 300 memberships@ $35 each to entitle us to tape eight (8) shows. That would be four (4) days of taping with two (2) shows taped each day. We have been told that this is the requiremen
t for the Polka dancers. I have verified this with several of the Polka dancers. However, we have also been told that there are 1000 Polka memberships and only 20 ballroom memberships. I feel that this is not true as we have our membership as do many other ballroom dancers. Some of our membership must be erroneously classified in the "general fund". This can only be corrected by obtaining a list of our members and their numbers and submitting same to the station. Dancers with current membership must be counted into the 300 member requirement. If it is decided that we want to form a club and pay membership to dance on TV, we must also be able to control our membership money. I ask, at this time, that no one pays any moneys to WVIA. We need to have a bargaining tool and money is our only answer. AT THIS TIME WE ARE ONLY CONDUCTING A SURVEY TO ASCERTAIN IF THERE IS ENOUGH INTEREST IN PURSUING A MEMBERSHIP DRIVE. If ther
e is sufficient interest, we will then work thru the details of obtaining members. No membership money will be given to WVIA until we have dates for tapings. Then we will have to make arrangements with the station to accept the membership money at the time of the taping. Of course, if you have already paid your 2007 membership dues, we need to have your membership number so that your dues can be classified in the proper account. Please respond with your opinion. All responses will be confidential and only used to determine if we have the numbers to proceed with the membership drive.
Send Email