At WTA, we pride ourselves on the expert personal service we give our clients. Hiring an agent is an important and critical step in a journalist’s career. We take our jobs and our clients’ careers very seriously. We believe every client has certain rights which they are entitled to when they sign with WTA.

THE RIGHT TO AGGRESSIVE, ZEALOUS AND PROFESSIONAL REPRESENTATION

WTA is the most aggressive television news talent agency in the country. We are constantly on the telephone, using our vast network of contacts to find new opportunities for our clients. Our industry is very competitive, with sometimes hundreds of candidates vying for one position! WTA’s clients have an edge over others because WTA is tenacious in following-up on tape submissions and persuading news managers and executives to interview and hire our clients. We pitch our clients as individuals; reels of talent are never sent to stations. We custom-edit tapes when a station is looking for a specific type of person. When it comes to negotiating with stations or networks, there is no one tougher than Gregg Willinger. He always negotiates hard for his clients, seeking maximum compensation and other favorable contract terms.

THE RIGHT TO HAVE YOUR PHONE CALLS PROMPTLY RETURNED

WTA is in the personal service business. We give the best, most personal service in the television news industry. Clients’ phone calls are always taken immediately; however, if the agent is on the phone (as is usually the case), the client’s phone call is promptly returned. It is a basic WTA philosophy.

THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT IS ON YOUR TAPE

The resume tape is a crucial element of the job search. It is your first chance to make an impression on a news director, general manager or network talent executive. At WTA, we work very closely with our clients regarding the contents of the resume tape. We have state of the art equipment and edit all tapes in-house. We carefully choose what stories go in what order on the tape. When the tapes are completed, our clients always receive a copy (or “dub”) of their tape for approval.

THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHERE YOUR TAPE IS BEING SENT

At WTA, we have no secrets from our clients. Some companies refuse to tell their clients where they are searching for jobs. The job search is critical to most clients and we want our clients to know exactly what is going on in their career. As a result, we send our clients written reports detailing where their tape has been sent. When we receive feedback from a station on a client’s tape, positive or negative, we promptly report the same to our client.

THE RIGHT TO BE INVOLVED IN CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WITH YOUR EMPLOYER

Gregg Willinger, the founder and president of WTA, is an attorney who practiced law in New York City for many years before he became an agent. As such, he is a professional negotiator and understands how to draft, read, negotiate, and interpret contracts. He has moderated and served as a panelist numerous times at annual journalism conferences on the topic of contract negotiation in the broadcast television industry. At WTA, we believe there is no reason for a client to be “left in the dark” when his or her contract is being negotiated. Our clients are consulted during every step of the negotiation process; a process which can take quite a long time to complete. WTA strategizes with its clients, while attempting to achieve their goals, both financial and otherwise. All proposals, offers and counter-offers are discussed with our clients before they are presented.

THE RIGHT TO DECIDE

This is significant and often misunderstood by people in the industry. An agent’s role is to represent his or her client aggressively, zealously, and professionally. The agent works for the client, not the other way around. At WTA, we provide advice and counsel to our clients on a daily basis. We negotiate contracts and pursue opportunities for our clients every day. However, the ultimate decision-maker in the relationship is the client. This holds true with regard to whether or not to accept a job offer, to pursue an opportunity, or to include something on the master resume tape.