8646-R1_NewGloucester_2022-2023_AnnualReport_Web

ANNUAL REPORT Cable Television Committee

The Committee continued its basic mission to record, stream and broadcast public Meeting House meetings, making such recordings available as video-on-demand on the Internet in addition to “cablecasting” on channels 3 and 1302. Committee members, as individuals, recorded public access programming, primarily NG Historical Society presentations. The Committee’s major accomplishment was the installation and activation of replacement audio and video systems in the Meeting House with digital and high definition technology, by vendor Key Code Media New England (formerly Access AV). Only the microphones and the moderator’s control switch for them were retained. Besides operating with six cameras, the system adds direct connections to a wireless presentation device and to the control room computer for hybrid meetings. The large wall monitor is replaced by two larger monitors, for presentations and for remote callers into hybrid meetings. The overhead loudspeakers are upgraded and augmented for hybrid meetings. A digital clock synchronized with the system is added. All recorded Meeting House meetings are now sent to the Town’s new Castus Cloud streaming and video-on-demand service, published on the Internet at https://cloud.castus.tv/vod/ngtv. DVDs of the Meeting House meetings until December 15, 2022 are retained at the Town Office. Meetings starting October 1, 2022 and Zoom meetings from the Covid-19 period are preserved on hard drives. Meetings from the past five years are available for upload to Castus Cloud for viewing – if not already there – upon request to the Town Office or by email to cabletv@newgloucester.com. Staffing of video operators for Meeting House meeting coverage continued to be provided by a part-time employee with hours based on need, backed by a volunteer who also maintains the video server recording and playback, as well as being responsible for all technical matters. Weekend (Fri.-Sun.) “public access” programming consisted of recorded meetings and forums broadcast soon after their occurrence, as well as presentations made to the Historical Society, starting at 7:00 am. and pm. In support of the Capital Improvement Plan and Budgeting processes, those meetings were rebroadcast on weekends at 2:00 pm soon after they occurred. The Committee encourages those desiring greater communication within our town to help us expand our utilization of the cable channel and streaming and video-on demand web sites. Respectfully submitted, Richard Erwin, Chair

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