OPEN HOUSE FUNDRAISER

Legislators are tackling the PEG funding collapse—caused by cord-cutting—via two main paths: (1) reinstating full cash franchise-fees from cable providers, and (2) extending similar fee obligations to streaming and broadband services. Multiple bills at both federal and state levels reflect growing momentum for updating legacy funding models.Interested in supporting the Wrentham Cable 8 miussion?

Here are the legislative bills we are looking for community support on: H.91, S.41, and H.106 – An Act to Modernize Funding for Community Media Programming.

Wrentham Cable 8 Testimony
Submitted by: Liz Harkins
Organization: Wrentham Cable Access Corporation (Wrentham Cable 8)
Date: July 9, 2025

Dear Chairs Farley-Bouvier and Moore, and Members of the AITIC Committee,

My name is Liz Harkins, and I serve as the Executive Director at Wrentham Cable Access Corporation, a community media center serving the residents of Wrentham, MA. I submit this testimony today in strong support of Bills H.91, S.41, and particularly H.106 – An Act to Modernize Funding for Community Media Programming.

Community media centers like ours are more than just public access TV stations. We are vital civic infrastructure — providing essential local news, emergency alerts, government transparency, media literacy training, and accessible platforms for underserved voices. We teach media production skills to students and adults, provide coverage of municipal meetings, and offer programming that connects residents to one another in ways that commercial outlets simply cannot.

Over the past five years, we have witnessed a significant and troubling decline in subscriber-based revenue — the traditional lifeline for PEG (Public, Educational, and Government) access. In our case, we have lost nearly 14% of our annual funding due to the shift away from traditional cable subscriptions. These losses have forced difficult decisions: staff reductions, equipment cutbacks, and in some cases, scaling back coverage of local events and government meetings that residents rely on.

As more consumers move to streaming and broadband-based media, it is imperative that our funding model evolves to reflect this reality. The proposed legislation modernizes the existing funding structure by applying a modest assessment on broadband providers — those who now dominate the media delivery landscape. This shift is essential to preserve the public's right to locally-controlled, non-commercial media.

If no action is taken, we risk seeing more community media centers close their doors — silencing local voices, reducing civic engagement, and creating even deeper gaps in local journalism and representation.

I respectfully urge the committee to issue a swift and favorable recommendation for H.91, S.41, and H.106. The future of community media in Massachusetts depends on it.

Thank you for your consideration and leadership.

Sincerely,
Liz Harkins
Executive Director
Wrentham Cable 8
Wrentham, MA
Liz@Wrenthamcable8.com
(508) 384-3888