Hopes to increase meeting coverage at Town Hall
Residents would like to see more local news, issues and politics programming on a survey of cable viewers conducted by MCTV. Toward this end, MCTV will propose to the Montague Selectboard in early 2014 that it support a plan to film open public meetings held at Town Hall. Videos of meetings would be shown on MCTV Channel 17 and online soon after meetings, allowing residents to learn first-hand more about town government and about the issues boards and committees take up weekly and monthly.
MCTV’s goals are threefold: to increase and deepen residents’ civic engagement, promoting democratic government; to make community access TV and Internet services relevant to Montague's residents by reducing the amount of imported programming and increasing coverage of local news, politics and events; and to provide technical training to volunteers to increase their job skills.
Footage would be captured with remote self-contained imaging systems. These systems are easy to operate by briefly trained members of boards and committees. They would efficiently allow for use of MCTV staff production and programming time. Systems and training would be paid for using operating funds and the proceeds from an upcoming government access underwriting campaign. Equipment would be unobtrusive and MCTV would provide any clean-up or repairs should the systems become unusable.
This system would not replace the production of more sophisticated videos of Selectboard, Finance Committee and Town Meetings. MCTV would continue filming those and cablecasting them live.
Frank Abbondanzio, Montague Town Administrator, recently told MCTV’s Outreach Coordinator, Cindy Tarail, that once the Selectboard approved the plan, MCTV can send letter a to boards and committees asking for a representative to meet with MCTV to figure out how to configure the filming set up and in order to set up training. MCTV will also meet with David Jensen regarding building issues. MCTV will seek letters of support from the Selectboard, town employees and board members to share with prospective underwriters. Local businesses committed to supporting democratic government and community access can underwrite six months or a year's worth of government programming, receiving credit on daily cablecasts of frequent meetings and events for a very affordable amount. Contact Cindy Tarail via the Contact page for more information.
Posted: to General News on Mon, Dec 9, 2013
Updated: Mon, Dec 9, 2013