Profile: Open Signal Producer Jim Wrathall

Since 1991, Open Signal Producer Jim Wrathall has been aiding and abetting the progressive community, via his Open Signal TV program, "TV Set," which airs live on every first and third Sunday on CAN Ch 11 at 6 p.m. 

A politically-focused show with an interview format, "TV Set" has an anti-establishment, environmentalist, anti-war and pro-civil rights message that continues to resonate with many voters today.

"TV Set" was originally conceived twenty-five years ago, when Wrathall and his collaborators Arnie Osterhaus and Tom Civiletti were outraged by events occurring in Iraq, during the Gulf War. They decided to produce a scripted comedy program that highlighted the absurdity and tragedy of this conflict.

What inspires Wrathall, who has hosted and produced "TV Set" single-handedly for the last fourteen years, to keep making the show?

"What keeps me going is just outrage over injustice--being lied to by the government, the revelations that keeps oozing out of the edges of the empire," Wrathall said. "Somebody has to say something."

Wrathall credits Open Signal's staff, training, equipment and facilities with making his show possible.

"Other people take it for granted but I don't," said Wrathall. When he journeyed to Brazil for a World Social Forum, Wrathall found that he was given more access and respect than larger news organizations such as CNN, because the people he met trusted him more as an alternative media maker.

In fact, he was interviewed on two different Brazilian TV stations.

"They found it remarkable that we in Portland have free TV access that doesn't change from mayor to mayor — that stays consistent," Wrathall said. "They were amazed by how long he had been broadcasting his free speech message for free, and said that there were people in their country who had actually given up their lives, fighting for that right. It made me realize how valuable community television really is.

Wrathall is proud of some of the news stories that "TV Set" has broken. For instance, during the Iraq War when George Bush was calling for the US to take out "evil Saddam‚"  because of his weapons of mass destruction, "TV Set" shared an interview with Saddam Hussein's son-in-law and second cousin Hussein Kamel Hassan al-Majid, which explained that al-Majid had been in charge of the destruction of all weapons of mass destruction. 

"We were the only television station and only television show in Portland to openly say that there were no weapons mass destruction, and to share the evidence," Wrathall said. "No others. So that's a very proud moment."

Another proud moment came when a flotilla of Turkish aid boats, headed for Palestine, were attacked by Israeli soldiers. The soldiers rappelled down from helicopters and murdered unarmed aids workers. One of the crew on the boat managed to broadcast video of the attack, and Wrathall was able to get this raw, high-definition footage within an hour of the event. That night, "TV Set" changed their show plan, so that they could broadcast the video as soon as possible.

"To release such important, fresh news was a very high moment," Wrathall said.

Today, Jim Wrathall has plans to move on from his public access involvement to pursue other things. But he hopes that "TV Set" will continue on, hopefully with the passion and motivation with a new producer. 

In the meantime, Open Signal and the local community audience are grateful to Wrathall for allthe progressive journalism and news commentary that "TV Set" has provided over the years.

"I had lots of help, from crew and from a decade-long line of intelligent, dedicated co-hosts, who helped research and flesh out stories," Wrathall said. "I absolutely could not have done it without them.