Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board weighs HD channel upgrade and audio fixes as staff reports recent event coverage
Summary
Staff reported recent coverage of town events and a candidate forum; the board discussed an expected July HD channel assignment, possible encoder/conversion costs (historically cited at about $30,000), feed-quality issues and persistent audio problems in the meeting room.
Sandown Cable Access staff reported on recent event coverage and candidate forums at the board’s March 24 meeting, and the board discussed technical upgrades needed to support an HD channel and persistent audio problems in the meeting room.
Chris, the board’s operations lead, said the station covered the deliberative session, election night (which required a recount) and a recent candidate forum; live viewership on Facebook was modest and campaign staff requested copies of the candidate-forum recording. Chris noted Facebook offers closed captioning on live posts and that the station’s VOD has a download option.
Board members then turned to an upcoming HD channel the board expects could become available in July. Staff said the board already knows the channel assignment (noted in discussion as channel 1075) but needs Comcast’s guidance on equipment and conversion requirements. Chris said the encoder and conversion equipment historically cost about $30,000 (seven to eight years ago) and urged the board to obtain current price quotes before committing. Members questioned whether investment in an HD feed is worth the cost given uncertain viewership numbers and that the signal coming from the cable head end (Derry) is currently down-converted to SD and appears washed-out.
The meeting included an extended technical discussion of audio: intermittent shorts in a mic snake, low microphone levels for some mics, feedback issues in a largely hard-surfaced room and tradeoffs between replacing wired hardware or buying a wireless system. Chris described troubleshooting steps taken during recent events — including turning front speakers off to reduce feedback — and suggested practical steps such as testing and replacing problematic cables or adding acoustic panels to reduce echo.
Members asked staff to get explicit cost estimates and Comcast liaison guidance for the HD option, and to provide options and pricing for audio fixes (replacement snake/cables, testing, and temporary mitigations). The board agreed to revisit procurement decisions once staff provides those figures.
The board adjourned at 7:45 p.m. and scheduled its next meeting for May 26.
