Directors back campaign

The Directors Rights Campaign was boosted by a London meeting attended by more than 200 film and television freelance directors.

The attendance at the meeting, and the statements from members of the audience, demonstrated there is now widespread and growing support for the joint campaign by BECTU, the Directors Guild and the Directors and Producers Rights Society.

The meeting, held on 2 February at the Berners Hotel in Central London, was addressed by BECTU's Deputy General Secretary Roy Lockett, DPRS General Secretary Suzan Dormer, and leading film and television freelance directors.

The campaign aims to win secondary use payments rights from ITV for directors, putting them on a par with fellow directors in the rest of Europe. The campaign has now forwarded the claim to individual ITV companies and their response is awaited.

Roy Lockett said: "We want sensible negotiations with ITV now. But if that doesn't happen, then sanctions will be needed."