With approval from the Hastings City Council Monday to buy a professional camcorder setup, the city’s Cable Access Committee will continue its planning to greatly expand cable programing to include city, school and other area events on more outlets than just the WOW cable channel.
Member and spokesman for the committee, Councilman Bill Redman said 20 Barry County businesses have already agreed to have their operations videotaped for a cable show.
The committee is looking into streaming programs on the city’s website and possibly You Tube, Redman said.
School athletic contests and play-offs, entertainment events like performances at Thornapple Plaza and by the City Band, school’s extra-curricular activities like plays, village and township board meetings, school concerts, historic society meetings, and almost any non-profit venture are candidates for cable programing.
The new equipment includes a Panasonic premium professional camcorder and its accompanying equipment, hard drive, tripod, case, memory card, battery and shoulder rig support at a cost not to exceed $6,000.The funds were budgeted at a council previous meeting. The committee is looking for volunteers for all the aspects of cable access programming, Redman said.
In other business Monday, the council approved Southwest Michigan Youth Baseball placing a 10X12 storage shed at the Fish Hatchery Park ball field; sidewalk sales during Girl’s Night out on May 3 and the Gus Macker Organizing Committee’s request to host the Macker 3 on 3 basketball tournaments on July 13-15 in the downtown.
