“Grandstanding” in Bartlesville
Summer’s a slow time for TV ratings. But maybe not on Bartlesville’s cable access TV.
How else do you explain the council’s decision to turn off the cameras for the public comment section of city council meeting broadcasts?
Among the reasons cited by some council members was “grandstanding” for the cameras. Sure, in this era of YouTube, blogging and Twitter, everyone can have their 15 minutes of fame. But do council members really think budding starlets are seeking out the spotlight in council meetings?
Of course, Oklahoma City residents might remember the time a few years ago when “Borat” comedian Sacha Baron Cohen used the public comments section of an Oklahoma City Traffic and Transportation Commission meeting to go on an extended riff on democracy, traffic and women.
In Bartlesville, it looks like residents wanting to see the same kind of hijinx — or even just routine concerns about their local government — will have to show up in person at council meetings.
At your own peril, check out the first part of Cohen’s speech from 2004 below.
–Paul
Written by Paul Monies
Follow @pmonies
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[...] it raises some alarm bells for advocates of open meetings and open records. It also comes after the city council in Bartlesville decided not to air the public comments section of council meetings on local cable TV. Are we seeing [...]