Liberty News
Encyclopedia
Liberty News TV is an American monthly grassroots progressive
television news program produced in Portland, Maine
. The show took a two-year hiatus from October 2009 to June 2011, when it relaunched on the progressive non-profit cable channel Free Speech TV
on Dish Network
, over the Internet
, and on a number of Public, educational, and government access
(PEG) cable TV channels across the country. It is also available for podcasting as audio files on iTunes
.
included along with news gathering and analysis. Chambers was replaced for a short-time by the two-host team of Noel and Lizzie Reinholt, but Noel was eventually installed as the sole host.
In 2009, it was announced that Liberty News TV would stop airing with episode #40, released in October. The producers noted that the poor economy, along with the election of Barack Obama
as president—whom the program argued was inaccurately perceived as a liberal
reformer—had greatly reduced their funding from progressive viewers. However, in 2011, Liberty News TV resumed production, with Daniel Noel returning as host. A complete high-resolution archive of the 40 half-hour episodes and a detailed index with links to the archive can be found online.
segment on a particular topic hosted by either Quinn or Noel. Since the 2007 re-tooling, a new format was introduced prominently featuring comedy sketches
satirizing both certain current events as well as Republican
and Democratic
politicians and American public policies. Liberty News TV reports have often been critical of corporate news and media organizations such as Sinclair Broadcasting, CNN
, and the Fox News Channel
, which they see as propaganda institutions serving corporate and military interests.
Past episodes of Liberty News TV covered the opposition
to the Iraq War, the Christian Right
, gay rights, climate change
, and media criticism. The new format will return to a two-part program, with host Tess Van Horn focused on social, political and economic news and criticism, and host Daniel Noel returning to host "Mock Therapy," a commentary segment that skewers ignorance, racism and other facets of American culture.
on the website, or sent checks to the Portland address.
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
television news program produced in Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
. The show took a two-year hiatus from October 2009 to June 2011, when it relaunched on the progressive non-profit cable channel Free Speech TV
Free Speech TV
-External links:...
on Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
, over the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, and on a number of Public, educational, and government access
Public, educational, and government access
Public, educational, and government access television, refers to three different cable television specialty channels...
(PEG) cable TV channels across the country. It is also available for podcasting as audio files on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
History
Written by professional journalists, the program first aired in 2005, originally showing on a monthly basis. In the program's original format, two-thirds of the program offered straight news—though with a clearly progressive perspective—anchored by Liz Chambers. The remaining third offered an editorial by Kevan Quinn, who was replaced by substitute commentator Daniel Noel in 2006. In 2007, the program was revamped and re-tooled, with progressive satireSatire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
included along with news gathering and analysis. Chambers was replaced for a short-time by the two-host team of Noel and Lizzie Reinholt, but Noel was eventually installed as the sole host.
In 2009, it was announced that Liberty News TV would stop airing with episode #40, released in October. The producers noted that the poor economy, along with the election of Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
as president—whom the program argued was inaccurately perceived as a liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
reformer—had greatly reduced their funding from progressive viewers. However, in 2011, Liberty News TV resumed production, with Daniel Noel returning as host. A complete high-resolution archive of the 40 half-hour episodes and a detailed index with links to the archive can be found online.
Description
Until 2007, the program ran on a timed format, featuring Chambers reading news stories for the first twenty minutes. Occasionally, a special report submitted by a freelance journalist was introduced. The last ten minutes then featured a commentaryPolitical criticism
Political criticism is criticism that is specific of or relevant to politics, including policies, politicians, political parties, and types of government.-Controversy:...
segment on a particular topic hosted by either Quinn or Noel. Since the 2007 re-tooling, a new format was introduced prominently featuring comedy sketches
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
satirizing both certain current events as well as Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politicians and American public policies. Liberty News TV reports have often been critical of corporate news and media organizations such as Sinclair Broadcasting, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, and the Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
, which they see as propaganda institutions serving corporate and military interests.
Past episodes of Liberty News TV covered the opposition
Opposition to the Iraq War
Significant opposition to the Iraq War occurred worldwide, both before and during the initial 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States, United Kingdom, and smaller contingents from other nations, and throughout the subsequent occupation...
to the Iraq War, the Christian Right
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
, gay rights, climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
, and media criticism. The new format will return to a two-part program, with host Tess Van Horn focused on social, political and economic news and criticism, and host Daniel Noel returning to host "Mock Therapy," a commentary segment that skewers ignorance, racism and other facets of American culture.
Production
The show ran on a very low budget, yet had the "look" of a professional studio setting. The set, as revealed on a local WGME news report, was initially shot in a leaky basement, and was composed of lumber and a bluescreen. Production of the program was supported entirely by donations from individuals and like-minded organizations, who typically donated via PaypalPayPal
PayPal is an American-based global e-commerce business allowing payments and money transfers to be made through the Internet. Online money transfers serve as electronic alternatives to paying with traditional paper methods, such as checks and money orders....
on the website, or sent checks to the Portland address.
Former
- Liz Chambers -- anchor
- Lizzie Reinholdt -- anchor
- Kevin Patriquin (Quinn) -- commentator