ACTION, TV CAMERAS - WHAT NEXT? GLENDALE SCHOOL BOARD TO DECIDE WHAT TO AIR.

Byline: Donna Huffaker Staff Writer

As administrators at the Glendale Unified School District ready their thoughts on whether to broadcast lengthy board meetings or televise an abridged version, it appears the video equipment will not go to waste.

With cameras already installed in the board room, board members can videotape panel discussions, showcase students' work and offer parent-education programs, district spokesman Vic Pallos said.

Since 1996, the board has allocated $30,000 a year toward the audio and video enhancements, including a control room in the back. With more than $90,000 set aside toward the installation and purchase, board members must now decide how much of their meetings to televise.

The board president, Lina Harper, favors the idea of televising meeting highlights, rather than airing the entire six to eight hours of a meeting.

``From all the conferences I've attended and the research I've done, it seems most people don't want all the little minute details,'' she said. ``If it takes 10 hours to reach a decision on something, they don't want to see that. They just want to know the outcome.''

The board, she said, will discuss the matter next week.

Although board member Chuck Sambar was out of town Friday and could not be reached for comment, he has said in the past that meetings should be broadcast gavel to gavel.

That's the way the Burbank Unified School District airs its meetings.

Since 1993, the Burbank board has been televising each entire meeting and even rebroadcasting it the next morning, said Lee Ann O'Toole, administrative assistant to the superintendent.

``I really haven't heard any negative things,'' O'Toole said. She said she believes televising the full meetings allows community members to stay in touch with the school district without leaving their home, she said.

In Glendale, the idea of broadcasting board meetings on cable television arose in 1995 as part of the Glendale 2000 Strategic Plan, which suggested cable television as another medium to get the district's messages out to the community, Pallos said.

Then, in 1996, the city of Glendale began airing its public meetings, generating interest in watching local government officials create and shape legislation, Pallos said.

So, over three years, school officials allocated almost $100,000, which has been used to install equipment, design the system and buy cameras and monitors, Pallos said. The total bill came to $115,448, he said.

The video cameras and audio system are used to broadcast the annual scholastic bowl, spelling bees and special ceremonies, such as the dedication of Clark Magnet School, he said.

``I think there's a real community interest in what we're doing. I think they like to see the people who are doing these things,'' he said.

Maybe, but there's a limit, Harper said.

Pointing out that she doesn't even have cable, Harper said many cable viewers flip from station to station and likely would pause only momentarily for educational programming. That, she said, is all the more reason to showcase school and student highlights.

``Meetings can run six to eight hours. Reporters don't even stay for the whole thing,'' she said.

A Marcus Cable survey 1-1/2 years ago indicated board meetings are very low on the list of what subscribers most want to watch, Pallos said. However, viewers have sent positive letters and cards about what has been broadcast over Marcus Cable Channel 15 so far, Pallos said.

If the board decides that only highlights of its meetings will be aired, Pallos wonders who will decide what the highlights are.