Calabasas : Planners’ Meetings to Debut on Cable TV

The city of Calabasas in November will begin televising Planning Commission meetings for the first time.

The commission will make its live cable television debut Nov. 9, and thereafter, two meetings a month will be aired live, City Manager Charles Cate said. City Council meetings are already aired live twice a month.

Also, the city has selected a new firm to provide camera work for televised meetings, Cate said. Beginning Wednesday, he said, Videomax Television Production Service of Thousand Oaks will replace Woodland Hills-based Hokus Pokus Productions Inc.

Videomax, Cate said, has agreed to cover all four meetings for $300 apiece; Hokus Pokus charges $500 for each council meeting and $350 for additional meetings. Three local cable television firms pick up part of the cost as a public service.

Eventually, Cate said, the city hopes to acquire its own camera equipment and do the camera work itself to save even more money.

The city has been under pressure to televise more meetings, spurred by critics who say the city is trying to avoid public scrutiny. Officials, in their own defense, say it’s costly to televise meetings and that people who want to know what’s going on can attend meetings in person.

“I am a firm believer in the public’s right to know, but there has to be a cost benefit,” said Bob Lia, chairman of the city’s Telecommunications Advisory Committee.

However, he added that, with today’s rapidly improving technology, it’s possible the cost of televising meetings may eventually decrease significantly.