Councilors on the Finance Committee on Dec. 1 pressed Brockton Community Access (BCA) Executive Director Scott Mercer over repeated community complaints about missed or delayed live coverage of local events, including the recent municipal election and the annual parade.

Councilor Hayes introduced a resolve after receiving constituent complaints that election-night coverage was not available live and that recent council meetings and events were airing old programming instead of current content. Scott Mercer said he arrived at BCA about 2½ years ago and that since his tenure every election has been covered; he acknowledged an equipment failure during the most recent election and said the team produced a live-to-tape program that aired about an hour after the event and was rebroadcast multiple times. Mercer also said much of the technical equipment is city-owned, that volunteers and limited staff affect production capability and that he works with the IT department when wiring or signal issues arise.

Councilors asked for annual reports from BCA and more robust coordination; Councilor Nicastro requested the last three years of BCA annual reports. Mercer said he would work with the BCA board to provide requested materials and that staff will continue to document issues and recommend training for backup operators. The committee recommended the resolve favorably and invited BCA to follow up with specifics requested by councilors.