Coming to cable TV: The School Committee
Published on December 15th, 1999
STONEHAM, MA - Stoneham School Committee meetings will be televised by MediaOne Cable in the new millennium, or at least for the start of it.
The school department has written assurance from Media-One that television coverage will be provided at "no cost in money or personnel" under the town's cable contract, which runs until April 5, 2002.
On Dec. 9 the School Commit-tee reversed an August 1999 vote not to televise its meetings. The vote Thursday night was 5-0 to televise. Chairwoman Jeanne Craigie and Mary Carey voted for coverage as they had in August. Mary Pecoraro and Marie Christie reversed their previous votes opposing cable coverage, and Stephen Gucciardi, who abstained from the August vote, made the December vote unanimous by saying yes to cable.
Gucciardi said he was swayed by the "written promise" from MediaOne to cover the meetings for free. He said that he had been hesitant to vote in favor of televising meetings without legal confirmation that the school department would incur no costs.
In August Craigie told the committee that a letter detailing MediaOne's obligation to televise the meetings was on file at the selectmen's office, but the committee did not have the letter in hand until late November, according to Gucciardi.
Gucciardi also mentioned the November Town Meeting where a visible majority of citizens voted to recommend television coverage of School Committee meetings.
The School Committee was under no legal obligation to televise meetings, but a formal public opinion is hard for elected officials to ignore.
The committee members said they received calls as well, urging them to televise the meetings.
Christie said she had hoped funds dedicated to meeting coverage could be used to supplement the high school television program.
"That didn't work out, so this is good for now," she said.
Pecoraro said she was influenced by the impressive presentation by peer leaders at the Nov. 18 School Committee meeting.
"I thought to myself that it was a shame the whole town couldn't see them," Pecoraro said.
On Dec. 9 from 7:09 p.m. to 7:25 p.m. the School Committee conducted a public hearing on the issue.
Discussion centered around the ideas expressed at past meetings of the committee and the November Town Meeting: parents who cannot leave home want to watch the meetings, and people who are working say they will record the meetings to review.
Jim Prior of Valley Road said he watches the selectmen on television when he cannot attend and would like to have that option for School Committee meetings.
"My basketball practice was cancelled, or I wouldn't be able to be here tonight," Prior said.
Supporters of cable coverage also argue that the more people who are informed, the better the government will function.
"I think it is important to have an open government," said Janet Carucci of Brookbridge Avenue.
After four months, the School Committee agreed.
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