Council presses Brockton Community Access over missed coverage, BCA director says technical and staffing limits to blame

Councilors used a Dec. 1 Finance Committee resolve to press Brockton Community Access (BCA) leadership over multiple coverage lapses, including complaints that election night coverage and other events did not air live as residents expected.

Councilor Azek said many residents complained about missing election coverage during the recent municipal election and that the community relies on BCA for local information. The BCA representative who appeared on the record (identified in the transcript as "Mr. Mercer") said he arrived after a prior missed election, and that since his start the station has covered every election; he said the most recent show aired as a live‑to‑tape program within an hour of the event and that the organization replayed it multiple times on HD and standard definition channels.

Councilors raised additional concerns including wiring and audio problems in council chambers, inconsistent airing of recent meetings, and reduced live coverage of annual events such as the parade and youth sports. BCA’s director said many systems are city‑owned (not maintained by BCA), that staffing and volunteer resources are limited, and that the station has recruited volunteers and producers to increase programming. Councilors asked for BCA annual reports and other documentation to justify city funding and asked BCA to present steps for improvement; the committee recommended the resolve favorably, with one abstention recorded.