Representatives from local public access media used the festival stage to warn that declines in cable revenue threaten community media operations and access to recorded municipal meetings. Speakers said the loss of funding could force municipalities to absorb the cost or reduce live broadcasts of meetings.

A Peabody TV representative said, “Community media matters more than ever in 2025,” and described community media as ‘‘hyper local’’ programming that documents municipal proceedings and community events. The representative added that while cable revenue has declined, demand for services has increased because viewers expect timely streaming and higher production quality.

Festival remarks framed community access as an accessibility and participation issue. The speaker said, “This is a First Amendment issue, participation in government, transparency in government issue,” noting that municipalities without resources could lose the ability to broadcast select board or school committee meetings live.

Speakers urged state action to address the revenue stream that funds local access centers and warned municipalities that the cost burden may shift to local budgets if state support does not change. The speakers did not cite a specific statute or funding formula onstage; their comments were appeals for policy attention and community support.

Event organizers and community media volunteers asked residents to value local coverage and noted that Peabody TV also trains local students and produces community content beyond government meetings. No formal policy decision was taken at the festival; remarks were public appeals and informational in nature.