Abbotsford city council meetings will no longer be broadcast on TV after Aug. 14.
Shaw Communications has broadcast council meetings from around the Lower Mainland for years but is stopping the service. Online broadcasts will continue.
Mayor Henry Braun told council on June 26 that he had met with representatives from Shaw who told him of their decision. He said that many Abbotsford residents, including his own mother, do not have computers or an internet connection and will now miss out on viewing council meetings.
The video equipment used to film proceedings is currently owned by Shaw, while the city owns the audio equipment. The city will assume ownership of Shaw’s video equipment and plans to hire a contractor to operate it, as the council meetings will continue to be streamed online.
Both the city and Shaw will to launch campaigns to inform residents that they will no longer be able to watch council proceedings on TV but can continue to do so online.
The change will cost the City of Abbotsford approximately $10,000.