The experience of LABOR BEAT - CHICAGO, IL, USA



David G. Ohlenroth




Labor Beat is a bi-weekly cable tv show on the cable access channel in Chicago. It is also on cable in a few other cities. Labor Beat began airing in the mid-80's and is a not-for-profit organization run by volunteers. We are not financially sponsored by any unions or locals, so we are free to air programs without obligation to the bureaucracy. We are affiliated with tv production union IBEW 1220 as a non-profit. We survive through selling our videos within the working class. In the last decade we have covered most major union struggles in the Midwest from the Central Illinois War Zone campaigns, to the National Founding Convention of the Labor Party, to the Detroit newspaper lockout. We also cablecast labor videos from other producers in the US and from other countries.

Planning and preparation become just as important as the actual videotaping when covering a major event. Strategy and communication become especially important when covering a large, complicated event that lasts a period of two or more days.

The Locked-out workers of the Detroit Newspapers held a massive march in June of '97 covering a two-day period and attended by 50,000 to 120,000 marchers. Prior to the march, locked-out workers toured the country to gain support. By attending their demonstrations in Chicago, Labor Beat was able to make valuable first-hand contacts with the locked-out workers. These contacts provided valuable interviews prior to and during the weekend of the march.

In Detroit we had five video cameras covering the march and demonstrations. It was essential to know where and what our fellow videographers were taping, and for them to know what we were taping to ensure that all aspects of the march were covered. On an all-day event a videographer must be aware that he/she may be covering hours and hours of footage at any time. Battery back-up, extra tape stock and even food and water are essential things needed to pack on an all-day event. The more mobile and self sufficient you are the more you will be able to cover.

Once the event was over we had 15 hours of video to review to put together a 1/2 hour cable TV show. To ensure a fast turn-around of production, we had a number of group and private viewings logging footage for editing. After production, fliers were made up to advertise air time on cable and the Chicago PBS affiliate.

We soon hope to be able to distribute our videos in PAL and SECAM format, in addition to NTSC now (see list of shows on website). Labor Beat is a member of UPPNET. Our web site is:

http://shoga.wwa.com/~bgfolder/lb
our e-mail address is:
lduncan@igc.apc.org
Phone: 312-226-3330
Address: Labor Beat, 37 S. Ashland, Chicago, IL 60607, USA