Introducing Hamlet TV: Bringing City Council Meetings to Your Screen
In an era where transparency in governance is more crucial than ever, a new streaming service, Hamlet TV, is set to revolutionize how citizens engage with local government proceedings. Spearheaded by entrepreneur Sunil Rajaraman, Hamlet TV aims to demystify the often opaque world of city council meetings, making them accessible and understandable to the general public.
The Genesis of Hamlet TV
The inception of Hamlet TV is deeply rooted in Rajaraman’s personal experiences. In 2022, he campaigned for a city council position in a small Californian town. Despite his efforts, he faced defeat. This experience, however, illuminated a significant issue: the lack of transparency and accessibility in local government operations. Rajaraman found it challenging to comprehend the inner workings of his city, the decisions being made, and the individuals behind them. He described the system as a total black box, seemingly designed to be intentionally opaque.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a shift, with many towns beginning to record and post their city meetings online. Recognizing an opportunity, Rajaraman founded Hamlet in 2022. The company’s mission was clear: to help citizens understand the happenings within their local governments.
Harnessing AI for Transparency
Hamlet employs artificial intelligence to process thousands of hours of city council and planning commission meeting videos. This technology transforms raw footage into actionable intelligence. Rajaraman emphasizes the superiority of video over traditional meeting minutes, noting that minutes are merely interpretations, whereas the video doesn’t lie.
Initially envisioned as a media company, Hamlet’s potential quickly expanded. Real estate developers and political action committees expressed interest, highlighting that private entities also require insights into local government proceedings. For enterprise clients, Hamlet offers services such as tracking agendas, alerting them to relevant topics across target cities, synthesizing meeting outcomes to avoid hours-long video reviews, and providing searchable archives to monitor mentions of competitors in governmental contexts.
Financial Backing and Vision
To date, Hamlet has secured approximately $10 million in venture funding from investors like Slow Ventures, Crosslink Capital, Banana Capital, and Kapor Capital. Rajaraman envisions Hamlet evolving into the Bloomberg of local government intelligence, providing comprehensive and timely information to stakeholders.
Launch of Hamlet TV
On December 5, 2025, Rajaraman announced the expansion of the company with the launch of Hamlet TV. This streaming channel is designed to keep everyday citizens informed about their local governments’ activities. Available on platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Apple TV, and Instagram, Hamlet TV highlights significant moments from council, commission, and school board meetings.
Having processed thousands of hours of government meetings for various clients, Rajaraman and his team have encountered meetings lasting over 15 hours without breaks. They began curating humorous moments from these sessions, believing that humor could engage people more effectively in U.S. democracy. Rajaraman stated, If you show people procedural videos, they are just not going to care. But if you show them the funny stuff, they’ll watch.
One particularly memorable instance featured an individual dressing as a cockroach to address the city council about a pest problem. However, beyond the humor, Rajaraman is struck by the consequential nature of these meetings and their relative invisibility to the public. He cited an example from earlier in the year when the Tucson city council rejected Amazon’s $3.6 billion data center proposal. Despite months of planning, only a handful of people likely watched the videos to understand the decision’s rationale.
A Commitment to Democracy
This venture isn’t Rajaraman’s first foray into business or media. He co-founded the analytics platform Scripted, served twice as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Foundation Capital, and managed the publication The Bold Italic before selling it to Medium.
While Hamlet TV may not be a significant revenue generator, Rajaraman is driven by a desire to increase public engagement with the nation’s democracy. He plans to offer the Hamlet tool to local journalists for free, emphasizing that while data is valuable, context is paramount.
Looking ahead, Hamlet aims to collaborate with government affairs, advocacy organizations, and renewable energy developers. Rajaraman encapsulates the mission succinctly: Democracy works better when people are watching. We’re trying to make watching possible.
