Oak Ridge upgrades courtroom media equipment for City Council meetings

With help from a contractor, the City of Oak Ridge has upgraded the media equipment in the Municipal Building Courtroom to provide a better viewing experience during televised City Council meetings.

The city contracted with M&M Productions USA of Oak Ridge in June to help with the broadcast upgrades, a press release said. Part of the upgrade included permanently mounting pan, tilt, and zoom (PTZ) high-definition, robotic cameras that would “provide for better viewing angles of City Council, city staff, and audience members during televised City Council meetings,” the release said.

This recent broadcasting upgrade further complements the audio and City Council voting equipment improvements that were completed in 2014 as a result of deteriorating equipment and Courtroom needs, the release said.

“The PTZ cameras provide for better area coverage and greater detail of City Council meetings,” Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said. “Additionally, there have been several broadcast efficiencies experienced with all of the media upgrades, not to mention that the upgraded equipment has added to the professional composition of the City Council meetings and the Courtroom.”

City staff has further expanded the viewing options of City Council meetings for the public by initiating an online streaming service through Ustream, an award-winning company that provides clients a means to stream live content.

A designated URL has been developed—www.oakridgetn.gov/councilstreaming.aspx—to allow the public to view the City Council meetings live on their computers and mobile devices. With Ustream, viewers will be able to stream the meetings in high definition, the release said. Also, the city will continue to have on-air coverage of the regular City Council meetings on BBB Communications Channel 12.

As part of the upgrades, the Courtroom now contains an Assistive Listening System that can provide hearing assistance to a member of the public as part of the City’s public meetings. Those interested in learning about the Assistive Listening System are encouraged to contact the City Clerk’s Office.

City Council meetings occur during the second Monday of each month beginning at 7 p.m. in the Municipal Building Courtroom.

Contact the City Clerk’s Office at (865) 425-3411 for more information.

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