Cablecasts of local meetings from the City Council chambers
received a major upgrade in technology this week.
Cablecasts of local meetings from the City Council chambers received a major upgrade in technology this week.
A new system – run by Community Media Access Partnership – includes two remote control cameras and a remote-controlled telecast.
The production of Council meetings on Hollister public access channel 17 now features simple graphics, “fades” and better audio, according to Suzanne St. John, executive director of CMAP.
“It should look and sound a heck of a lot better,” she said.
Before installing the equipment before its first use at a meeting Feb. 3, CMAP used only one camera for meetings and a microphone that was pointed toward the ceiling.
St. John said the first cablecast with the new equipment Monday “went very smooth.”
“The city wanted better quality of the broadcasts,” she said.
The new equipment, paid for by CMAP, cost $32,000. The city pays an annual fee of $27,000 for CMAP’s services, which covers the meeting cablecast, management of Hollister’s channel and cablecasts of San Benito County Board of Supervisors meetings.
City Council meetings are held the first and third Mondays each month at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 375 Fifth St. The Board of Supervisors meets the first, second and fourth Tuesdays of each month in the board chambers at the County Administration Building, 481 Fourth St.
Although the Board meetings will not enjoy the technological upgrade, St. John said the Hollister Planning Commission will because it also meets at City Hall.
CMAP is a nonprofit public education and government access media center broadcasting on local cable channels 17-20. The varying themes of programming includes government meetings, college classes, local school coverage and shows produced by local residents.
