Channel 74 Airs BOE Tape
Surprise! The June 30 meeting and reception for new Schools Superintendent Steve Gallon III showed up on local cable Channel 74 Saturday (july 19, 2008), just days after the school board questioned the city's rules for submissions.
The meeting and reception were recorded by former Community Relations Director Louis Rivera on his last day on the job. The meeting in the Plainfield High School Library was held to discuss Gallon's contract, which had to be modified slightly due to increased state scrutiny of superintendent contracts and new laws on such contracts. An outcry over the $700,000 buyout package of a retiring superintendent's contract led to review of all superintendent contracts. Click here to see Plaintalker's previous posts on the issue.
After the board approved the revised contract, there was a reception in the school cafeteria for Gallon that was also recorded. This writer had to leave for a meeting at City Hall before Gallon spoke, so the opportunity to see the speech today on Channel 74 was appreciated.
However, having checked both the Channel 74 schedule posted on the city web site and the district web site for announcements of the airing, Plaintalker found no advance notice. It was only the heat wave that caused this writer to be parked in front of the television and flipping channels by chance when the show was being aired.
If it is to be aired again, some advance notice would be good. Dr. Gallon gave a forceful speech that deserves a wider audience than those who attended June 30.
On Tuesday (July 15, 2008) board members expressed dissatisfaction with Channel 74 rules that meant a month might elapse before airing of a submitted tape. Because a franchise agreement with Comcast included provisions for both a municipal and an educational channel, the board may explore setting up its own channel.
Meanwhile, keep an eye out for the June 30 program. As the camera pans those present at the beginning of the reception, I'm the camera-shy one hiding behind a notebook.
--Bernice Paglia
The meeting and reception were recorded by former Community Relations Director Louis Rivera on his last day on the job. The meeting in the Plainfield High School Library was held to discuss Gallon's contract, which had to be modified slightly due to increased state scrutiny of superintendent contracts and new laws on such contracts. An outcry over the $700,000 buyout package of a retiring superintendent's contract led to review of all superintendent contracts. Click here to see Plaintalker's previous posts on the issue.
After the board approved the revised contract, there was a reception in the school cafeteria for Gallon that was also recorded. This writer had to leave for a meeting at City Hall before Gallon spoke, so the opportunity to see the speech today on Channel 74 was appreciated.
However, having checked both the Channel 74 schedule posted on the city web site and the district web site for announcements of the airing, Plaintalker found no advance notice. It was only the heat wave that caused this writer to be parked in front of the television and flipping channels by chance when the show was being aired.
If it is to be aired again, some advance notice would be good. Dr. Gallon gave a forceful speech that deserves a wider audience than those who attended June 30.
On Tuesday (July 15, 2008) board members expressed dissatisfaction with Channel 74 rules that meant a month might elapse before airing of a submitted tape. Because a franchise agreement with Comcast included provisions for both a municipal and an educational channel, the board may explore setting up its own channel.
Meanwhile, keep an eye out for the June 30 program. As the camera pans those present at the beginning of the reception, I'm the camera-shy one hiding behind a notebook.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 7:55 PM
4 Comments:
How nice would it be to have a link on the Plfd district website that archives each meeting that has aired?
I happened to be channel-surfing as well, and caught part of the Gallon reception and speech, probably at the same time you did. It's pathetic that this administration responds only to complaints. Dare I say that had it not been for the public pressure and resulting embarrassment, the Gallon tape would not have aired. It's insulting that no one at city hall or at Ch. 74 has any true administrative capability. It's embarrassing to see the degree of incompetence displayed this late in this administration's tenure. It's time the city council held them accountable for their utter stupidity. Now that that's done, will they EVER have any real public access, or will the public access continue to be the silly Facebook-style narcissism featuring the mayor, Jerry Green, their cronies, and the grinning city council?
While it would be satisfying to think that the airing of the BOE program was just in response to the so called "outcry"
I took the time to contact the Cable Channel and was informed that the program was scheduled to be aired mid-July, despite what was reported to the contrary.
As always "spin free" is never quite that is it???
Perhaps people should try to seek out facts for themselves rather than mindlessly buying into everything that is freely given as facts here.
Bernice did you take the time to contact that department before writing what you did? I guess not.
Aah there goes that 916 again -- she's such a board advocate; I'm wondering if that $85K has anything to do with it...
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