NI council’s online meeting suffers audio problems

May’s monthly meeting of Mid Ulster District Council was the first meeting the Council has broadcast in this fashion.

The event was streamed live from the Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre in Cookstown.

However, for those watching online, most of the meeting was inaudible as sound kept dropping out and Councillors could often only briefly be heard for a word or two.

Those in the meeting were aware of the issue with the Council’s Chair, Councillor Martin Kearney, telling members, on more than one occasion, to speak directly into the microphone.

Addressing the concerns on Friday afternoon, twenty hours after the meeting began, a spokesperson for Mid Ulster District Council  promised to make improvements as more meetings are streamed in this fashion.

“Ensuring a consistent sound quality via the live feed was challenging,” said a spokesperson for Mid Ulster District Council.

“We’ll continue to test the technology and to make improvements as the next remote meetings take place.”

Adam Morton , Local Democracy Reporting Service