Can’t make it to the District 208 school board meeting tonight? No problem. You can stay home and watch it tonight live on your television or computer.
Tonight for the first time ever RBTV, the television station of Riverside-Brookfield High School, will be televising the meeting of the Riverside-Brookfield High School District 208 Board of Education live as it happens.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and can be seen tonight live on RBTV (Comcast Channel 16/AT&T U-verse Channel 99), at the RBTV website (www.rbtv.tv) and on the RBTV YouTube channel.
Beginning tonight RBTV is planning to televise all regular District 208 school board meetings live. RBTV began televising District 208 board meetings on a tape-delay basis in 2007.
Fiber-optic cable was installed at the school as part of the recent renovation and addition at RBHS, and this gives RBTV the capability to do live broadcasts from various places at the school.
RBTV Director Gary Prokes said he brought up the idea of televising the board meetings live last year, but because of other issues he never received a go ahead.
So this summer Prokes mentioned the idea to new District 208 Superintendent Kevin Skinkis.
“I brought it up to Dr. Skinkis and said that we had the ability and we have the technology, should we try carrying these live? And he said, sure, let’s start with the September meeting,” Prokes said.
In addition to the fiber-optic cable, RBTV will use a fiber light box and an additional audio mixer for the live broadcasts.
Broadcasting live should ratchet up the excitement for the RBHS students who handle the cameras and produce the broadcast.
“It will be exciting for the students, because it adds a whole other level of excitement to the production,” Prokes said.
In addition to the live broadcasts, RBTV will continue to air taped broadcasts of District 208 school board meetings each Thursday evening at 7:05 p.m.
“The same meeting will repeat until a new board meeting is produced,” Prokes said.
Prokes said that RBTV plans to televise live some basketball games and perhaps a concert from the school later in the year.
