When MaxxSouth Broadband purchased Metrocast earlier this year, part of the franchise agreement included the cable company to air the Oxford Board of Aldermen meetings on one of its public access stations.

For the first few months, the meetings were being recorded on DVDs and played at different times on channel 97.

“We would have some difficulty always getting the DVDs,” said MaxxSouth regional general manager Rick Ferrell. “There were different groups recording then bringing us the DVDs. Sometimes we didn’t get them.”

MaxxSouth recently provided fiber optic to City Hall and installed a path so all city staff need to do is just plug in the camera.

“Once it’s plugged in, it will automatically go live,” Ferrell said. “When the meeting is over, it will return to regularly scheduled programming.”

The first live Board of Aldermen meeting was aired Tuesday.

“I believe in open government and I think this will give people more options to see their local government at work,” said Mayor Pat Patterson.

It will be up to the city if they want other meetings to go live, Ferrell said.

“It’s up to them and if they want it live and if someone plugs in the camera,” he said. “Potentially, all meetings held in the courtroom could be streamed life.

Patterson said he wasn’t sure yet what other meetings would be aired live other than the Board of Aldermen.

The aldermen meetings are held at 5 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays of the month. The live stream will be aired on channel 97 for MaxxSouth customers.