I don’t know about you, but the entertainment-related apps on my iPhone include NBA League Pass (so I can watch the Knicks), Max (so I can watch reruns of “The West Wing”), and Peacock (because WrestleMania).
But a new app has topped them all: Capitol TV of RI.
That’s right, you can now get all the Joe Shekarchi and Donny Ruggerio that you could ever ask for right in the palm of your hand (not to mention live hearings of the special legislative commission to study legislative commissions).
In all seriousness, Cap TV quietly launched an app this week that will allow the public to watch various meetings of the General Assembly from their mobile devices at no cost. The app is also available on Roku, Apple TV, Google TV, and Amazon Fire Stick, according to House spokesman Larry Berman.
Berman said the app is still a work in progress, and Cap TV was planning to use this week for testing and roll it out during the legislature’s April recess next week. But it looks like eagle-eyed John Marion from Common Cause noticed the app was live, and tweeted about it on Wednesday.
As of now, the live streaming function is the only feature on the app, but eventually there will be an “on demand” option to watch old hearings. If you can’t wait for the app to be fully functioning, you can always find past hearings on Cap TV’s website.
So how much did it cost?
Berman said the state paid $220,000 to Cablecast Tightrope Media for closed caption software, web stream equipment, the app, and new web homepage. All House and Senate sessions, committee and commission meetings, and press conferences and events involving the legislature can be streamed and put on-demand.
No word yet if the app will begin streaming Shekarchi’s fundraisers.
This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.
Dan McGowan can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @danmcgowan.
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