WCCA TV urges Worcester officials to delay Charter Spectrum franchise renewal over funding and transparency concerns

Worcester City Public Service and Transportation Committee members on Monday heard extended testimony from WCCA TV representatives and community producers who urged the city manager and council not to finalize a new franchise agreement with Charter Spectrum until elected officials and the city’s public, educational and government (PEG) channel stakeholders can review consultant reports and the projected funding impact.

WCCA TV representatives told the committee the station is operating “in the red” and faces “devastating” cuts as cable-subscriber fees — the principal local source of franchise funding for PEG channels — continue to fall. “The decline in franchise funding is devastating to WCCA TV,” a WCCA TV representative said during the meeting, asking that the council direct the city manager to withhold signature on any renewal and release the consultant reports produced during the ascertainment process.

The appeal came during a single-agenda meeting called to discuss the status of franchise negotiations with Charter and the impact on WCCA TV. Committee Chair Donna Calorio presided; Councillor George J. Russell and Councillor Jenny Pacillo participated. The city solicitor told the committee the administration is still negotiating the renewal and that no new contract has been executed.

Why it matters

WCCA TV provides public-access production space, training and a platform for local voices, producers and community organizations. Station representatives said the ongoing revenue decline threatens the station’s ability to maintain equipment, facility operations and staff. WCCA told the committee its current annual city-provided revenue is about $621,000, down from roughly $660,036 the prior year; representatives said the station is “in the red over $500,000” overall and lacks a franchise-era capital grant that expired two years ago.

Key details and testimony

• Funding and capital needs: A WCCA TV staff member placed the station’s one-time replacement cost at roughly $830,000 to replace aging studio equipment, cameras, edit suites and internal networks; the speaker estimated such replacement would keep equipment serviceable for roughly six years. The station said its franchise-era capital grant expired about two years ago and that much of its studio and field gear is more than a decade old.

• Franchise negotiations and legal limits: The city solicitor told the committee the franchise renewal remains under negotiation and that state and federal rules govern what local governments can require of cable operators. The solicitor and other city staff said streaming services currently do not generate the same franchise revenue for municipalities as legacy cable subscriptions, and that streaming-based viewing generally does not produce the specific cable-fee revenue that funds PEG channels.

• Senior discount and consumer billing: Councillor Russell and others pressed the solicitor about a longstanding senior-citizen discount clause in the existing contract; the solicitor said the city has not yet determined how that clause will be treated in renewal and that it would be difficult to refund past shortfalls to residents who did not receive discounts historically.

• Community impact: Producers and volunteers described WCCA as a training ground and local outlet that supports local comedy, arts and civic programming. “None of this would be possible without WCCA TV,” said Matthew Corey, a Worcester resident and WCCA program producer. He and other volunteers said the station’s production quality is constrained by old equipment and inconsistent staffing.

Requests and proposed next steps raised at the meeting

WCCA representatives and council members proposed several actions the committee or city manager could take while negotiations continue: withhold signature on any renewal until PEG stakeholders see consultant reports; explore whether some portion of existing PEG INET or cable-administration funds could be redirected to public-access capital needs; refill or reconstitute the city’s Cable Advisory Committee to provide ongoing stakeholder input; ask the city manager for an inventory of easements and any contractual terms that could affect franchise revenue; and request a report on whether there has been a recent audit of Charter’s payments to the city.

Councillors also asked the administration to research whether the city can implement an opt-in or opt-out donation mechanism for customers who want to contribute directly to WCCA, although staff and volunteers said prior attempts to place donation envelopes in cable billing were not permitted by the operator.

Public comments from WCCA staff and volunteers emphasized the station’s civic role and urged stronger franchise terms. “You can get better camera quality on the phone in your pocket,” said Matthew Corey, describing the equipment shortfall. Michael Coogan, identified as WCCA’s development officer, said the station has difficulty applying for foundation grants without stable revenue figures and long-range budgets.

Votes at a glance

The only formal vote recorded on the committee’s published agenda at this meeting was approval of minutes from Dec. 11, 2023. The committee approved the minutes by roll call (Councillor Jenny Pacillo: yes; Councillor George J. Russell: yes; Chairperson Donna Calorio: yes).

What’s next

City officials told the committee negotiations are ongoing and no contract has been executed. Committee members discussed issuing chairman’s requests that the city manager (1) expedite filling or reconstituting the Cable Advisory Committee, (2) provide a report on easement terms and whether any renegotiation is possible, and (3) supply information about audits, the distribution of PEG-related funds and options the city may have to help stabilize WCCA’s funding. Councilors additionally asked that the manager explore senior-discount remedies or alternative payments to affected residents if refunds are impractical.

The committee did not take formal policy action on those requests at the Sept. 8 meeting; all items were discussed as next steps while negotiations continue.