Tom Weinberg

Tom Weinberg, a filmmaker and television producer from Chicago, has had a lifelong passion for television and media. He founded the independent video archive Media Burn in 2003 and is currently president. Weinberg's work as a producer has focused on guerrilla television and providing the public with alternative news sources outside the mainstream media. Among his notable projects are The 90s, the Emmy Award-winning Image Union, and the TVTV video collective.

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Weinberg is a strong advocate for independent filmmakers. He established the Media Burn Independent Archive to preserve and digitize independent films and documentaries. A nonprofit organization based in Chicago, Media Burn's growing video collection features 10,000+ videos from a geographically, socially, and economically diverse community of video makers from around the world who share a deeply rooted commitment to increasing our understanding of other human beings and communities.  This archive has gained recognition from the National Archives and Save America's Treasures for its unique collection of significant private works that document the interplay between Chicago's film, media, and politics.

Tom WeinbergMedia Burn

Weinberg's fascination with television began in 1947 when his family bought their first TV.  He graduated from the University of Michigan and earned an MBA from New York University in 1968 and initially worked at his father's Py-O-My Baking Mix Company. After his father's death and the sale of the business, Weinberg pursued a career in the world of media.

Weinberg’s career began in print journalism before he went on to become a pioneering TV documentary and nonfiction producer at Chicago's Channel 26. He has achieved national acclaim for the more than 500 programs he has produced including "A Black's View of the News," a show featuring black anchors discussing black culture and events for a black audience. At Channel 26, he also covered significant news events like the Chicago Seven trial.

Weinberg was a pioneer in independent video in the 1970s with TVTV. In 1972, Weinberg co-founded the TVTV video collective with Allen Rucker, Michael Shamberg, Hudson Marquez, and Megan Williams to provide the public with important news coverage that mainstream media ignored. The collective produced notable documentaries like The World's Largest TV Show and Four More Years. He further pioneered the use of archival materials in education, teaching video and documentary courses at Columbia College Chicago and Loyola University Chicago. 

In 1978, Weinberg created and began producing the independent film and video showcase Image Union. He went on to found Fund for Innovative TV (FITV). It was through FITV that Weinberg created and executive produced The 90s, a breakthrough independently-produced series that aired nationally on PBS.

In 2003, Weinberg founded Media Burn Archive Independent Video Archive as another project of FITV. Today the Archive holds more than 8000 documentary and nonfiction videos, with over 4000 available to watch free online. 

Outside of video, Weinberg also authored Chasing the Lost City: Chronicles of Discovery in Honduras. The nonfiction book describes his voyage through the Honduran jungles in search of a city lost to history. 

Weinberg’s awards include a shared duPont-Columbia award for documentary; Chicago Producer of the Year; Silver Circle award from TV Academy; and the Studs Terkel Community Media award. Weinberg has worked with MTV, WGN-TV, NBA on CBS, and Tokyo Broadcasting. His work has been exhibited in museums in Tokyo, London, Paris, Rio, and New York.