The Montana Legislative Branch "Live Audio" web page allows you to listen to selected committee meetings in the Capitol as they occur.
The scheduled meetings for a given day are listed on the live audio page. When it is time for a meeting to convene, the committee name on the page becomes a hyperlink to the audio stream. If the committee name is not a hyperlink at the time the meeting is supposed to begin, click on the refresh or reload button on your web browser.
You must have RealPlayer® installed on your computer to listen to live audio streaming. The live audio page has a link to a site from which you can download the basic RealPlayer® for free.
If you experience difficulties with the live audio stream(s), please call the Legislative Technical Support Help Desk at (406) 444-0912. Note: The Legislative Branch is unable to help with configuring and operating RealPlayer.
Please note that a meeting may start late, and there could be some "dead" air (no audio) for a period after the committee name becomes a hyperlink. Committee secretaries turn on the sound feed when the presiding officer is ready to start the meeting. This is usually close to the scheduled start time, but occasionally there can be lengthy delays.
During a meeting, the committee may take a recess. When that occurs, the live stream will continue, but there will be no sound during the recess. Some time after the meeting ends, the hyperlink on the committee name is removed from the "Live Audio" web page. Until then, clicking on the hyperlink will result in a "File Not Found" message.
The audio recording for most meetings is available in the Legislative Branch audio archive shortly after the meeting ends.
The Legislative Branch does not have the capacity to live stream all committee meetings. When capacity is exceeded, only some of the Joint Appropriations Subcommittees will be broadcast. The meetings will show on the live audio page, but the hyperlinks will not appear when the meeting time starts. All subcommittees will be broadcast live when capacity is available. During afternoons, if capacity is exceeded, the audio streaming of House and/or Senate floor sessions will be curtailed to accommodate streaming of committee meetings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How soon after a meeting end is the audio archive available on the Internet?
A: The goal is one business day. Often it will be available even sooner. Occasionally, if a backup recording is required, it could take more than one day.
Q: Why are the House and Senate floor sessions not in the Internet archive?
A: The floor sessions are broadcast live but are not part of the Internet archive because the Journal remains the official record of floor proceedings. For a small service fee, audio or video of floor sessions can be obtained for most (but not necessarily all) dates by calling Jennifer Simmons at (406) 444-3064.
