The last few weeks have seen calls for Thanet Council to make available video of council meetings, various comments and nonsensical arguments for been put forward as to why or why not this can or cant be done.
The simple answer is that Thanet council have the ability to record and place video from these meetings on to DVD, we as local taxpayers, pay for Kent TV. So all that is required is for them to send a DVD to Kent TV and tell them to put it on to their system.
Admittedly anyone who has visited the council chamber to witness the great meeting of minds will know that there are no stand out orators or any great speeches but what do you expect, so in fact the ideal content one might think for Kent TV.
Just to check this out I took the trouble to just ring and confirm that this would be possible and the guy answering the phone for Kent TV couldn’t see a problem. So if anyone from the council would like the phone number, just contact me on my email, and within days we could all be inviting Sandy Ezekiel into our homes.
Any delay in agreeing to make records of meetings available in the future via the internet would appear to purely suit council officers and maybe the Conservative group.
I see a problem. KCC will expect TDC to make a contribution towards the running of Kent TV. After all its not a cheap venture.
ReplyDeleteIt was one of KCC aims at one of the latest council meetings to try and get other public bodies interested in sharing the costs.
As you know there are cheaper/free alternatives that TDC could opt for including just sending/uploading a copy to yourkenttv.co.uk
The other advantage of using the likes of youtube is that it will survive!
First off can I say that meetings are recorded and I was watching one of them on DVD yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThe immediate issue which requires a resolution by the committee it has been handed to, is to approve videos for publishing by Kent TV or anyone else.
Webcasting a live feed is a totally different matter because of the costs involved. If you had seen how slow the internet access at the council building was yesterday you would understand the bandwidth problem and potential costs related to it.
If you consider that there is a limit on the likes of YouTube and the sheer file size of a two hour council meeting on video, then you'll grasp that it needs to be hosted by a site able to accept the storage overhead.
So.. nobody is against broadcasting, it just needs to be properly approved. In the end, Kent TV is actually what we need for such a project Tony, or would you disagrre.
There are a few council meeting reports regarding the cost to a council of webcasting meetings themselves,
ReplyDeletejust google "council webcast costs".
For instance north tyne side is quoting a cost of £25,000 p.a, Rother council £12,500 p.a.
Croydon council say they are terminating webcasts as its too expensive at £32,000 p.a for only 200 viewers per cast.
Is not the point though that the members taking part know that they cannot hide!
KCC has set up an communications network at no small cost to us the taxpayer for the gateways and schools etc to use. Dont TDC use this in their council chamber?
Simon As I mentioned I rang Kent TV the person I spoke with could see no reason, why it would not be possible for them to upload on to their system.
ReplyDeleteI think we all accept that live webcast may not be possible but we have kent tv why not us it.
Thats what it is there for surely simple!
Quite agree Tony, if it's there and they are happy to host it then let's use it!
ReplyDeleteYet another stunningly inept and technically inaccurate post from Kent's biggest-headed blogger.
ReplyDeleteThey can't show Thanet Democracy in action as there isn't any.
ReplyDeleteWhat's to approve? Surely what was said is a matter of public record so a digital live image and sound recording of a public record event is surely by default ready to be shared with the public?
ReplyDeleteOr do you censor what the voters can know?
19.00 You are just so right!
ReplyDeleteAlthough the meeting is a matter of public record, the council have to approve its broadcasting.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the "technically inept" and inaccurate information referred to earlier might be?
one thing if TDC discussions are more widely availalbe it certainly wont sell TDC to a wider audience just convince people that is why we want an elected mayor!
ReplyDeleteAlso show how feckless the rest of the Tories are not to have got rid of their leadership and his cronies!maybe because of his bully boy tactics