Inverness councillors are to discuss the future of public webcasting of their business – in private.
Members of the public and media will be excluded when the city committee considers the issue again next week.
A decision about future webcasts of the Inverness committee was deferred in March to allow more time to consider the funding.
All other Highland Council area committees have opted to scrap the service to help the authority save money.
Committees’ annual webcasts have averaged £26,000.
Some Inverness members have, however, pressed for retaining the service to keep the electorate abreast of decision making.
Speaking yesterday, (FRI) the council’s city manager David Haas said: “We’re in the middle of a procurement process and it involves the costs around webcasting.
“Reluctantly, we’ve had to recommend that at this stage it be taken in private. But I’m certain that if a decision is reached the council will express its decision after the committee debate.”
Liberal Democrat councillors have argued that the Inverness committee webcast should continue for the sake of “transparency” in council business.
Highland Alliance group member Donnie Kerr, however, called for it to be “killed” to save money when only a handful of people tune in for the live broadcasts or to see an archived version. Some colleagues agree with him.
The average live webcast viewing figure for the Inverness committee is 52.
