If I’m following things clearly (I’m late in the game on what may or may not have happened), but according to Big Island Chronicle, the latest hearing that had to deal with Hawaii County Clean Elections was not covered by a TV Crew.
…As for the yesterday’s special meeting, it wasn’t videotaped for the public access channel as an effort to save money, according to County Clerk Kenny Goodenow…
I replied with the following comment:
So going back to the original statement that it wasn’t videotaped to save the county money… I need to ask why it wasn’t for a few reasons:
Na Leo Community Television currently receives $250,000 a year (January 2009) from Time Warner fees that we the public pay for out of our cable franchise fees to cover PEG programming (Public Educational and Government programming). They have been for many years now.
So why does the council have any say at all in what is broadcast or televised or not?
Who is making these decisions on what hearings we the public get to view.
When will they get with the program and actually just get a remote camera and stream them to the internet so anyone can watch them at any time?
This last particular hearing really blows my mind that the council would somehow choose not to have it broadcast because of supposed money costs. Do they realize how many people would have loved to have simply videotaped it for free and then submit the tape to Na Leo so that it could be digitized for broadcast?
The council acts like it’s a big cost… when the cost should be Na Leo’s to begin with! $62,500 is given to both the East and West side for this PEG Programming and there seems to be very little hearings on the West Side.
Of course we can’t forget HB2351H.D.1 S.D. 2:
Establishes requirements for cable TV PEG access organizations relating to funding, governance, filings, and compliance with sunshine and information practices laws.
So come on now County Council… What’s the REAL REASON why this hearing wasn’t videotaped?
Noellie Rodrigues was right when she said the public was getting slapped in the face.
Filed under: Big Island, Community, County Council, Idiots, Legal, State Affairs, Technology, Television Tagged: | Clean Elections Hawaii, Hawaii County Council, Na Leo Community Television, PEG Programming
