Boreal.TV

Boreal.TV has been recording community events—like the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board “listening session” on March 28. Behind the camera recording the discussion with IRRRB Commissioner Tony Sertich is Jack McDonnell of local Internet provider Boreal Access, which is partnering with WTIP radio to bring Boreal.TV to viewers.

Grants through Blandin Foundation’s Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities initiative to promote the development of broadband applications have resulted in an application for a new 501c3 nonprofit in Cook County called boreal.TV.

According to its website, boreal. TV, “Boreal.TV is a collaborative effort to create a public access community video/ TV network in Cook County, Minnesota. Our goal is to use local resources to produce and deliver video content about life in our communities.

“The first step in realizing our goal was to create the Boreal Video Project, which is a collection of local and regional video clips. Boreal.TV is the next step. Here we present livestreams of local community events. [Local Internet provider] Boreal Access joined with WTIP Radio and Cook County Schools and started live streaming school sports, concerts, and other special events. As boreal.TV grows, anyone with a high-speed computer connection can watch these events live as well as view them later from the archives.”

At the April 17, 2012 county board meeting, Commissioner Sue Hakes said she has been talking to County Information Technology Director Danna MacKenzie about how the county, the City of Grand Marais, the Grand Portage Reservation, and Cook County Schools could make use of this technology.

Boreal.TV has made a proposal to the county. It states, “In light of the recent discussion by members of the public and the county board regarding the value of making local government and the content of public meetings more accessible to citizens, boreal.TV would like to propose the county contract with boreal.TV to video and publish their regular and special board meetings.

“For $6,000 a year, Boreal.TV will provide one videographer, all necessary video equipment, editing of videos with basic tagging information, [and] online publishing and archiving (available from the county’s website) of all regular and special meetings held at the Cook County Courthouse and provide video content in a format compatible with publishing to the local cable station, as well as make it available at the public library.”

Commissioner Fritz Sobanja wondered what kind of editing would be done on public meetings, saying some would not like to see portions of meetings edited out. “I agree,” said Commissioner Bruce Martinson. “There must always be an unedited version out there.” Commissioner Hakes said her understanding is that meetings would be broadcast in their entirety. Board Secretary Janet Simonen said the editing could simply be “tagging” portions of meetings so people could find specific discussions they were looking for.

The county board will discuss this further at its April 24 meeting, and Commissioner Martinson hopes to hear comments from the public on this proposal.

Boreal.TV is working toward building a sustainable funding model and would like community members or businesses interested in sponsoring local events to email office@boreal.org or call 218-387- 9471.