Funding for Bedford’s Public Access TV Plummets as Cable Subscribers Decline
The financial formula enabling Bedford’s PEG access service is not sustainable. And one person close to the situation says the next fiscal year “might be a tipping point.”
Almost all of the money that pays for Bedford TV emanates from surcharges on subscribers’ monthly payments to the town’s two cable television providers, Comcast and Verizon.
But the number of local subscribers is the lowest since 2004, and the trend continues downward as new technologies have emerged to provide many of the same features at little or no cost.
The Community Media Committee, which advises the Select Board on PEG access matters, has started exploring possible additional funding sources. (The acronym stands for public, education, government.)
“I’m thankful there are people willing to volunteer for that committee,” said Robert Dutton, who chairs the Bedford TV Board of Directors.
Bedford TV is technically a contractor for a service overseen by local government. “Strictly speaking, we are the contractor to the town to deliver PEG access services,” Dutton said. But the entity is increasingly regarded as essential, particularly as it serves as the outlet for remote meetings of local government.
Dutton cited figures from the state Department of Telecommunications: the year 2013 was the apex of Bedford cable subscribers when the total was 4,771. Total Bedford cable subscribers in 2021 was 3,584, exactly the same as in 2004, representing a 25 percent decline in eight years.
“As the market changes and these numbers go down steeply, we have been raising the red flag,” Dutton said.
One reason the revenue has sufficed to this point is that the surcharge amount increases with rate hikes. “But that’s obviously not sustainable,” he said.
Town meeting action is required on the annual PEG access budget, even though it’s from a special revenue account. Last March voters approved ______, an increase that was tied to salaries needed to improve staff retention.
Gretchen Kind, who recently retired from the Bedford TV Board, told town meeting that the service lost up to nine employees over the last five years, “most of whom left for more money. Frequent turnover is very hard on the station.” She also noted that for the previous three years, some $34,000 in the approved budgets was unspent.
Bedford TV programming projects on YouTube and various social media platforms. “You see astronomical numbers in Facebook and YouTube views,” Dutton said. Viewers can either find the air time on a cable TV channel or watch on YouTube when they want. “Obviously that’s the way the whole world is going,” Dutton observed.”
“Even though most of our programming today is delivered by the internet, we are not encouraged to spend from the special revenue account to deliver programming by internet,” Dutton explained, because of state law. “We are meeting our obligation to deliver on cable.”
“The good news is it’s clear that the town does value what’s going on, and understands the problem and the need to address it,” he said. “Even the Finance Committee recognizes the value. There are some encouraging things going on. It’s now front and center.”
“These issues are not unique to Bedford,” he added. “We have it worse than a lot because we’re small.” He suggested that the Community Media Committee look into groups like Massachusetts Community Media, also known as MassAccess, which share information and strategies.
Dutton attended Tuesday’s committee meeting, and when the agenda reached the subject of funding, he assured members that the Cable TV revenue account will continue to be a major contributor. But supplemental funds will be needed, and Dutton offered the committee “a rambling list of things that have bounced around.”
State law. There’s a bill in a legislative committee that provides “some mechanism to provide funding.” Committee member Uma Kaundinya said the proposal applies the cable television funding model to streaming services.
Public funding. “Another possibility is for the town to kick in some funding from taxpayers,” Dutton said. “Should it reach that point, that may be a difficult conversation: what is the value of the service to the town?”
Rent reduction. Bedford TV pays the town $35,000 a year for the studio and office space in Old Town Hall. “The town could consider reducing or adjusting the rent.”
Revenue from production classes. “For training, we can probably charge a little more, so that probably is one knob that can be turned.”
Bedford TV classes and sale of recordings are included in operational revenues; fundraising like the annual trivia night is not.
Member Bryan Carr asked if producing podcasts could generate revenue – “every dime and nickel helps.” Dutton replied, “I’m not sure if it’s allowed or prohibited in the grant agreement. We have to be careful because I’m not sure Bedford TV can recognize revenues for helping someone use a town facility.”
Executive Director Brian Hebert noted that his previous employer, the Newton PEG contractor, established “a totally different company,” to facilitate raising money. Select Board Chair Emily Mitchell asked Hebert to research the details of that arrangement.
“The grant agreement prescribes how Bedford TV will operate the town’s facilities to deliver PEG access services,” through the medium of cable television, Dutton explained. Bedford TV charges for training “because that’s a service we provide that facilitates the use of the equipment. We want people to come in and get trained and use the equipment to create programs.”
However, “we can’t get paid for taking their programs and putting it on social media channels.”
Dutton explained that the grant agreement simplifies the contract between the town and its PEG provider. The language is “very heavily favored toward cable and going forward, the town may wish to consider whether it’s possible and advisable to open up some of the restrictions to more proactively encourage things.”
“Now basically it says all content we develop gets aired on cable – and oh, by the way, it can also go out through social media.”
Kaundinya asked about producing private events as revenue-generating programming. “Can they pay Bedford TV to record it and give the party a disc?” Dutton said such a scenario still is “using equipment owned by the town so I’m not sure we can charge anybody.”
Hebert said, “We want to cover as many community events as we can – that’s what we are there for.”
Kaundinya brought up commercial advertising; “that’s how the private sector solves these problems.” Hebert answered that although program sponsors are welcome, “we can’t have ads airing on our channels.”
“What are the options of reducing service?” inquired member Mark Guetersloh. Dutton replied that 80 percent of the budget covers staff expenses “and we don’t have a lot of staff. If we reduce the level of service, you can’t go very far before you start getting into the ability to operate.”
But he added, “Clearly that has to be part of the conversation… I guess that would be the default if we didn’t find other funding.”
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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