#RespectUs: Late Night TV Musicians Send Open Letter To Networks

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Musicians behind some of late night TV's most successful shows wrote an open letter to Disney/ABC Television, NBC Universal, CBS Entertainment Group and ViacomCBS demanding fair wages and true pay parity. Members of the American Federation of Musicians say they have been under-appreciated and forced to accept contracts that valued them less than the singers, actors, writers and directors in the studio.

Band members from the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Dancing with the Stars, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! among other popular shows signed the letter.

"This month your companies acknowledged that live television musicians are the only sector of the industry exhibiting substantial racial diversity, but at the bargaining table we are told that our contributions are worth less than those of actors, writers, and directors, even though we give just as much," the bandmembers wrote. "You cannot ignore that the other guilds are predominately white and are compensated at a higher rate with residual payments for streamed content, health care, and wages."

AFM also mentioned that although music from BIPOC artists has soundtracked clips that bring in millions upon millions, musicians are barred from residual payments on all streaming platforms. Additionally, the union said they've routinely been offered less at the bargaining table than other, less-diverse unions.

"Historically our union (AFM) has been more inclusive of BIPOC members than the other unions inside of the Live TV industry," the musicians wrote in the letter. "Unfortunately, this goes hand-in-hand with its members being economically disrespected, undervalued and underpaid in comparison to those of other unions. Systemic racism becomes the status quo regardless of intention or awareness, but now you have the opportunity to rewrite this narrative."

The Writers Guild of America West supported AFM's letter on Twitter. You can find the full letter here.