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Select Board assigns cable‑license ascertainment to Cable TV advisory committee ahead of Comcast renewal
Summary
Attorney Ryan Homequest advised the Select Board the Town of Templeton should begin an ascertainment process to guide negotiations with Comcast before the town’s cable license expires in 2027; the board agreed to charge the Cable TV Advisory Committee to lead the work and produce findings.
Attorney Ryan Homequest told the Town of Templeton Select Board on Feb. 12 that the town’s current cable franchise license expires in June 2027 and that the town should start an ascertainment process now to document community cable‑related needs ahead of Comcast’s renewal notice.
Homequest described ascertainment as a federally and state‑guided step that compiles findings about how the existing license has met or failed to meet local cable and broadband needs. He recommended completing the ascertainment and notifying Comcast no later than December 2026 (preferably June 2026) so the town is prepared for Comcast’s formal renewal proposal and subsequent negotiations.
Board members said Templeton’s existing digital equity plan could supply many of the data points Homequest described. The Select Board agreed by consensus to ask the Cable TV Advisory Committee to carry out the ascertainment work and report back; Steve Sher (Cable TV committee) said the committee met recently and “does want to take an active part.” The board asked staff to prepare a charge/memo to the advisory committee and return the item to a future meeting for formal direction.
No formal vote on licensing terms or franchise revenues occurred on Feb. 12; the action was a direction to the advisory committee to begin the ascertainment and prepare findings to support future negotiations.
