Quirky News
Council broadcast live meeting to three people
A council which spent £100,000 on broadcasting its meetings live online has admitted that as few as three people have logged in to watch.
Bristol city council has been broadcasting a range of its meetings online over the past five years, in a bid to become more transparent and accountable.
But town hall bosses have admitted that one cabinet meeting was watched live by just three people while another gathering attracted just four viewers.
There are now calls for a review into the "webcasts", created in 2008 to broadcast local decision making to a wider audience.
But the local authority defended the project, insisting it was a "huge success". The live audience was small, but "hundreds" more people later watched meetings on the website's archive.
A council spokesman spokesman said: "It is clearly making a big impact on the openness and accessibility of our local democracy - which a council is duty bound to promote."
what do you think?
stewgwyn
It's probably like watching paint dry, interspersed with frequent visits to the coffee machine. I'm surprised they got three people to watch it.
Dave Smith
They should throw in some hollywood pyrotechnic effects at random intervals, that'll get the viewers in for sure.
Martin Peacock
I question the price tag of £100k. The Police should investigate this. Someone is creaming off a bundle.
stewgwyn
I don't suppose for one minute that any council member got a backhander for awarding the contract to one of his mates ? Now remove that one, Orange, like the other three I have posted today. Just for telling the truth as I see it, no insults, no bad language. And I've had a letter telling me that my monthly plan is going up 3 1/2%, just to be silenced.
Brian Quinn
I wonder if the said Council did any market research prior to spending money on this project?
Dave Smith
12:43pm on 15/3/2013
Who did they pay to set this up? Since when does a camera and a web page cost £100,000 - I'll do it for 50 grand and get you viewers.