Kansas Citians can expect the picture to get sharper on Channel 2, the city government's cable TV channel.
The station is preparing to go digital HD. The city council finance committee has endorsed a $300,000 expenditure for new equipment to replace the 20-year-old control room equipment that is the backbone of the city's cable television communication system.
KCCG Channel 2 broadcasts council legislative and committee meetings and other city government related programs. It also rebroadcasts some meetings of the Jackson County Legislature.
City communications director Danny Roetert says the old system in worn out, outdated and at five to 10 years beyond its life expectancy. He also says with the new HDTV gear the station will be able to broadcast live from the city's emergency operations center.
In situations like this year's massive snow storms, the city had to wait until remote broadcasting trucks from commercial stations made it through the snow to the emergency center.
“Whether it's for snow or, God forbid, something terrible happens, we can go live to our citizens, not have to rely on TV stations to be there, and be in their homes and give them the information that they need to hear,” said Roetert.
Another perk from the new digital equipment, says Roetert, is that combining it with Google Fiber capabilities could allow the city to offer interactive, on-demand playback of council and committee meetings.