Show Doesn’T Skip A Beat
Economist Judith Brown just had to change clothes, even though she looked so nice in her navy blue cardigan.
“She’s in blue in front of a blue wall,” retired teacher Jane Kimball said into the mouthpiece attached to her headset. She peered into the lens of her television camera, then shook her head. Judith blended into the background.
Maggie Tallman, a retired Head Start director, rushed onto the compact set in Adelphia’s Coeur d’Alene television studio, peeled off the striped sweater vest she wore and handed it to Judith, who pleasantly switched out of her blue cardigan.
“Community Heartbeats” was ready to roll.
“I’m proud of the show,” producer Kathy Beechler says. She runs a Coeur d’Alene law office in real life. “We’re communitybuilding. I got a response today from an NIC (North Idaho College) student who loved it. I’ve met a couple of people in social services interested in the show.”
“Community Heartbeats” is the product of the Kootenai Democratic Women’s Caucus. It’s a 30-minute talk show that airs every Friday at 5 p.m. on Coeur d’Alene cable channel 19.
Early this fall, the women’s group sensed Democrats weren’t getting their message out in Kootenai County. An election loomed.
Television could help. Adelphia offered free training and studio use but balked at candidate profiles.
“We figured we could still talk about issues in the Legislature,” Kathy says. She and Jane lead the caucus together.
Caucus women jumped at the chance. A dozen people, including several men, signed up for six-hour lessons with television equipment. They learned to operate cameras and sound boards, direct, produce and edit.
Conversation at their get-togethers turned to camera shots, lighting and possible show topics - funding for Head Start, censorship on public television, the state’s budget surplus.
They taped their first show in October.
“It was kind of scary,” Chris Pickens says, remembering how quickly he went from learning to doing. He manned a camera, his favorite job. “It’s been interesting, for sure.”
The set was simple - a coffee table, plant and chairs - but mistakes were unavoidable. Charts were crooked. Things said off-camera made it on-camera. The crew learned the value of good editing.
Mary Lou Reed hosted a show about public television. The former state senator was her easygoing self, a talk-show natural. But she blanched when she watched herself on tape.
“We need someone younger,” she said to the protests of other crew members.
The group has taped six shows - two per month. The shows run every Friday, so some are repeats. They air when the time is inexpensive. The program costs the caucus about $100 a month.
Guests are easy to find. The Women’s Caucus produces the show but doesn’t invite only Democrats to participate. They’ve interviewed Kootenai Medical Center’s Joe Morris, former state school board member Judy Centa Meyer and the University of Idaho’s Ann Smart.
Brown drove from Moscow last week to spread her message about the state’s $283 million budget surplus via television.
Each half-hour show takes up to three hours to tape. Everyone working is a volunteer, and no one grumbles. The work is so absorbing that the crew constantly talks about how to make the next show better.
“Women are pretty remarkable,” Susan Smith says, showering her fellow crew members with an approving smile. She manages sound for each production. “We’re producing a product on TV every week! These women are real go-getters.”
This sidebar appeared with the story: ON THE AIR
“Community Heartbeats” will feature a show on the arts at 5 p.m. Friday on channel 19. Sandy Gookin and Charles Gift from the Lake City Playhouse will discuss theater in the area.