Spokesman to ankle SAG gig

Guild still without an exec director

By DAVE MCNARY

In the latest in a series of senior staff departures at the Screen Actors Guild, Seth Oster is ankling as deputy national executive director for communications. He has served as the Guild's public voice for 2½ years.

The ongoing instability at SAG has heightened Hollywood's concerns about the Guild in the wake of the SAG national board's October sacking of four honchos, including exec director Greg Hessinger. Since then, contracts chief Sallie Weaver and general counsel David White have left and the guild is still without an exec director.

The Membership First faction, headed by president Alan Rosenberg, came to power in September and fired Hessinger after promising a harder line in SAG policies than had been taken during the four years under Melissa Gilbert's leadership.

Oster plans to leave the guild in six weeks to launch his own PR operation. Rosenberg praised Oster in a statement issued Wednesday.

"I have depended heavily on his counsel and expertise, and greatly value his friendship, so this is a huge loss for both me and the Guild," he said. "But Seth is at a point in his life and career where he has a unique opportunity to start his own firm."

Oster succeeded Ilyanne Kichaven, who's now Hollywood exec director, as SAG's chief public representative in early 2004.

Before joining SAG, Oster had held exec slots with Napster, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and the American Film Institute.

Former chief financial officer Peter Frank has been serving as SAG's interim chief since last fall. With SAG's leaders unable to find a replacement for Hessinger, Hollywood's concerns about the lack of a go-to exec at SAG have been heightened.

Oster stressed he was making the move on his own rather than due to any problems with SAG leaders. "I have developed great respect for the leadership of Alan Rosenberg, and have a personal and professional relationship with him that I value greatly," he added.

Oster was hired by former CEO Bob Pisano, who resigned in early 2005 after three years and became president of the MPAA.