Somerville Proposes New Funding Model To Sustain Public Access TV

SOMERVILLE, MA — The City of Somerville on Monday announced a funding plan officials said will help sustain the Somerville Public, Education and Government (PEG) Access Television services that residents have come to rely on since the 1970s.

In a release, city officials said that the local public access stations — which feature city council meetings, events, information, emergency alerts, youth sporting events and other community programming — traditionally have been funded with a portion of the service fees, called "franchise fees," collected from local television providers Comcast and Astound. The fees go to the nonprofit Somerville Media Center, which runs the stations GovTV and EdTV.

However, officials said the national trend of "cord cutting," where many residents are choosing not to subscribe to cable, has hurt the budgets for the Somerville PEG Access Television services.

Under the new proposal, PEG Access Television services would be funded out of the city's general budget. Plus, the entire 5 percent franchise fees collected from local television providers will be allotted to public access. Currently just one-third of the franchise fees go to PEG Access Television.

The proposal, subject to city council approval, is projected to provide the Somerville Media Center with more than $1 million in additional funding over the next three years, bringing its total cable-provider funded payments to a projected $2.1 million for the years 2023-25.

According to Somerville officials, research indicates that Somerville PEG Access Television services are highly valued by many members of the community. Plus, Pew Research Center and other sources consistently show that seniors, low-income persons and people of color are more likely to use local television services for information than other groups, officials said.

"All three access TV providers offer key services and equitable information access to our community. The community relies on these services," Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne said. "This solution will help keep these offerings sustainable amid a changing media landscape."

Somerville officials also said they hope the additional support for Somerville PEG Access Television services will lead to the eventual renovation — and ultimately relocation — of the Media Center, which currently is housed at 90-92 Union Square. That city-owned building suffered significant water intrusion in 2019.

"I'd much prefer that the 90-92 Union Square building was not in need of major repair," Ballantyne said. "But as we navigate this challenge alongside the Media Center, it is my hope that this additional support will help seed their fundraising for resources to not just survive a move to a new space in Somerville, but to build something even better."

Ballantyne said the city also has been working to ensure a new home for the building's other tenant, the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers.