Illinois gov. vetoes news anchor bill

Illinois Gov. George Ryan has vetoed a law that would have nullified non-compete clauses from contracts with on-air talent. The law, passed by both houses of the legislature, would have permitted broadcasters to jump from one station to another at the end of their contracts. It would mainly have affected Chicago news anchors. In his veto message, Ryan said that the new law would “awkwardly push the state of Illinois into the role of private party contract negotiator.” He said the issue should be resolved through competitive bargaining rather than by law. In a statement, Illinois Broadcasters Assn. chief Dennis Lyle said that the veto “supports the basic business argument that government should not intrude on private contracts.” But local AFTRA director Eileen Willenborg called the governor’s action “a disappointing setback” and vowed that the union would attempt to “devise a strategy to right this wrong.”