>>> kelley <kwalker2 at gte.net> 05/19/00 04:44PM >>>
http://www.forbes.com/asap/00/0403/056.htm
heh. hilarious. thought michele would like it!
kelley
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'Breaking the Bank' packs the house
By Terrie Albano
"Breaking the Bank: A Challenge to the IMF/World Bank," produced by the Independent Media Center - DC, shows the people's side of the April demonstrations against the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
A hundred stations downlinked the satellite broadcast April 21, less than one week after the April 16-17 demonstrations. The one-hour video version premiered to a packed house at Unity Center April 22. "Changing America," one of the IMC production groups, hosted the post-production editing.
The IMC is a collaborative effort of non-corporate and anti-corporate video collectives, print, radio and Internet media. The IMC first came together in Seattle during the demonstrations against the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The video collectives produced nightly programs covering the week-long demonstrations. This broadcast was shown on satellite TV as well as on some public broadcast stations. From these broadcasts, the IMC produced "Showdown in Seattle."
At its video premiere, one speaker described the IMC as not only reporting news about demonstrations from a non-corporate-controlled viewpoint but as part of the demonstrations and part of the broad movement against corporate globalization.
During the program before the video, a few stories were told to illustrate this point. At one point, an associate producer with Michael Moore's production company was in the IMC control room, listening to the corporate media coverage and then relaying it to the demonstrators on the street via cell phone.
"The coverage is saying the crowd looks demoralized. Look upbeat," she urged. A minute later people were smiling and chanting.
Another young man told a story about going to a house where a pirate radio station was broadcasting. There was a knock on the door and Secret Service agents were outside. The occupants called the IMC and within a half-hour 100 people were outside chanting "Free our radio!" The radio group made it out intact.
By telling why the demonstrators were moved to protest these global corporate policies, the IMC and "Breaking the Bank" illustrate the importance of having an independent media group on the movements' side.
Judith LeBlanc, executive producer of "Changing America," introduced the video. "'Breaking the Bank' continues where 'Showdown in Seattle' ends - telling the story about ordinary people uniting against the injustices of corporate rule, "The viewpoints come from activists in labor, youth and students, environmental, peace and social justice movements. In the words of the protesters, 'This is what democracy looks like!'"
"Breaking the Bank" was produced for the Independent Media Center and Deep Dish Satellite TV by Big Noise Productions, Changing America, Downtown Community TV, Headwaters Action Video Collective, Paper Tiger TV, Sleeping Giant Productions, VideoActive and Whispered Media, and many more video activists working in collaboration with the Independent Media Center-DC.
"Breaking the Bank: A Challenge to the IMF/ World Bank" ($15 plus postage) and "Showdown in Seattle" ($20 plus postage) are available through "Changing America" at (212) 924-9046.
See "Breaking the Bank" via Real Media on the Web! Thanks to Free Speech TV, the entire broadcast series is available online: (www.freespeech.org).