Web May Carry Supervisors’ Meetings Long Before TV Does

Orange County supervisors, who can’t seem to agree on a plan to televise their board meetings, will likely get audio versions on the Internet long before they get their mugs on television.

County staff will outline plans tonight to air live audio broadcasts of board meetings on the county’s Web site. The staff also will detail costlier radio and television options.

Orange County is the only major county in the state that does not televise its meetings, and 75% of the county’s residents favor such coverage, according to a Times Orange County poll.

But proposals in the past two years have been either killed or delayed indefinitely. A pilot program to air three meetings is pending, without action on the proposal scheduled.

Two supervisors said Monday that a key roadblock to televised meetings has been concern over the county’s controversial plans for an international airport at the Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro. The military will leave the base in July.

“In my mind, this all centers around one issue, [and] that’s El Toro,” Supervisor Todd Spitzer said. “What started out to be an open-government idea has put a huge amount of fear into the three other supervisors that support El Toro.”

Supervisor Jim Silva, who represents Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa, said the calls to his office favoring televised meetings come from South County residents, many motivated by their opposition to El Toro.

“That’s what it’s all about,” he said.

Silva long has opposed airing the meetings for fear of grandstanding by special-interest groups that could delay board business.

Supervisor Tom Wilson is adamant that the board televise its meetings.

“I think it’s absolutely essential that the Board of Supervisors provide our constituents with the opportunity to see us in action,” Wilson said.

But he and Spitzer doubt they’ll get a third vote on the five-member board to televise the meetings.

“I think it’s already dead on arrival,” Spitzer said. “There are already too many signs that show that it doesn’t have majority board support.”

The Internet plan, though, has received tacit board approval, said Leo Crawford, a county information and technology manager.

“Unless they say ‘Don’t,’ we’re going to do it,” he said.

The Internet plan would serve 60 users at one time with real-time audio from board meetings. The start-up cost would be about $3,000 and the upkeep would cost about $800 per month, according to a staff report. Each communications hookup for 100 additional users per line would cost $800 to $1,400 per month.

Wilson hopes the Internet isn’t the main form of broadcast.

“On the surface, I don’t see it as being viable,” he said. “You’re not going to reach the majority of the public in their homes. How many of our residents have computers?”

Residents could listen on computers at a public library, but most libraries set a one-hour time limit--and meetings typically run two to four hours.

Cost differences between the Internet and television are significant, and even the least expensive television option would run into six figures, according to staff estimates.

While all the cable television companies in the county have agreed to transmit tapes of meetings at no cost, the county could expect $100,000 to $120,000 in start-up production costs. If the county chooses to lease production equipment, the annual cost would be $112,836, according to Network Television Time, the company that produces the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meetings.

Los Angeles County’s production costs are about $300,000 a year. The county also pays to broadcast its meetings on the city school district channel, which airs countywide.

Orange County’s public television affiliate, KOCE-TV Channel 50, would charge $250 per meeting and air each one during the station’s off-air hours--midnight to 5 a.m. The local Orange County NewsChannel is not interested in carrying the meetings, according to the staff report.

The staff also researched the possibility of the county owning and operating a low-power FM radio station. Estimated start-up costs would be $245,000 and monthly maintenance costs would be $700. But the option isn’t even available yet because the Federal Communications Commission is deciding whether to approve a new batch of low-power licenses.

Supervisor Cynthia Coad remains wary of any televised programming that does not reach all county residents.

“It’s a county function and I think it should be countywide--it really has to be if it’s going to be done at all,” she said.

Wilson agrees with her, but says, “You have to start someplace.”

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Scoping Out the Supes

All the media that would increase public access to county supervisor meetings have some costs involved. Here are estimates for three approaches:

TELEVISION

Production

In-house start-up costs would be $100,000 to $120,000 plus ongoing costs for engineering/maintenance, personnel, tapes and replacing gear. Leasing production equipment would run about $16,000 for a control room and $2,350 a meeting (or about $113,000 annually).

Broadcasting

Cable companies would transmit at no charge; all six companies serving the county are willing to transmit tapes provided to them and would work with the county to schedule times and dates.

KOCE would air tapes during current off-hours (midnight to 5 a.m.) for $250 a meeting.

RADIO

Low-power FM radio would incur $245,000 in start-up costs and $700 a month for maintenance and engineering. This option isn’t available yet because the Federal Communications Commission is in the process of deciding whether to approve a new batch of low-power licenses.

INTERNET

Limited to those with Internet access; would cost $3,000 for equipment/software and $800 in monthly upkeep, plus $800 to $1,400 a month for each additional line to handle 100 users per line. Would be available by May on a limited basis.

Source: County Executive Office