Lansdale TV Channel, Televised Meetings Being Pursued by Committees

A public access government channel for Lansdale Borough is not on the airwaves just yet, but it is something the borough is looking into as it moves toward a revitalized municipal complex.
At last week's town hall session, the need for a government channel was discussed, along with the much-debated topic of recording and broadcasting public borough meetings.
"It's something that has been on the drawing board for a while now," said Economic Development Committee Chairwoman Mary Fuller, who co-moderates the town hall session. "We do have access to a channel. The next step comes in with putting out the money for the eqiupment and people to work it."
Fuller said she sees the benefits of a local access channel for Lansdale news. If three people watch, she said, then that's a benefit.
"As many people, in my humble opinion, who are involved in any government, particularly local government, the better," she said. "I would love people to have access in whichever way they choose. With this, we have to look at cost effectiveness: if there's a cost-effective way to do it, it's a great thing."
One resident said the borough could get a decent $200 camera, tape the two-hour or one-hour event, and then convert it to a video file on the computer. Lansdale Farmers' Market, for example, could spend 15 minutes a week talking about what it's doing, she said. 
Communication Commission Chairman Denton Burnell said the channel is reserved if Lansdale chooses to cooperate and contact Comcast, get advertising to pay for the channel, obtain required cameras and hire the people to operate them.
"I like your idea; it's easier to accomplish," Burnell said. "Let's get a camera and record things and put them online. It's pretty easy to do. It may not be perfect, but it gives broader access to more people and it's easy to accomplish," he said.
Burnell said the Economic Development Committee and the Communication Commission will continue to pursue the issue and see what options are available for Lansdale. 
"We are requiring the new website has the capability to provide online streaming," Burnell said.
He added that advertising is a big factor in the success of the channel. There needs to be content that is broadcast on the channel in between airing of meetings and the like.
"Channels being dead a lot of the time, you need to fill it with ads and other things," he said. "It's not a simple matter of turning it on and broadcasting."
Borough Manager Timi Kirchner said there exists a relationship for such a channel with Comcast only.
"There are a couple ways to go, but we do have that opportunity," she said. "The issue, if you will, is cost." 
Kirchner said development on such an issue as broadcasting meetings is something to be considered in the new borough hall.
"Acoustically, if you televise in (the building), you should be able to hear it. In the room right now, you can't," Kirchner said. "People who are sitting in that room can barely hear what's going on. With the design of the new meeting room, it will be a better room if we do indeed televise meetings." 
Resident Bob Willi said the government access channel would be great to have in the borough.
"The station is free and allotted by the government, but you still have to pay for all the equipment," he said.