Woburn mayor approves Comcast franchise renewal, secures funding commitments for public media

Mayor Concannon approved the renewal of a franchise for Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC at a public hearing in Woburn, finding the proposed license "reasonably meets the franchise and cable related renewal needs and interests of the public and the city" and saying he will execute the agreement forthwith.

The decision matters because the renewal preserves franchise-fee and capital-equipment funding that supports the Woburn Public Media Center (WPMC), which local speakers told the city provides hyperlocal government coverage, school event broadcasts and training for students.

Brian Ouellette, executive director of the Woburn Public Media Center, told the hearing the station relies on franchise fees and Comcast capital funding to maintain coverage and training programs. "In order to keep moving forward, we rely on the funding that Comcast provides through franchise fees and capital funding," Ouellette said, noting the station covers government meetings, high school sports and offers production classes at Wilbur Memorial High School. Ouellette said WPMC covered 133 government meetings and 116 high school sports games last year and has added staff to meet growing demand.

Jim Dwyer, a lifelong Woburn resident and member of WPMC's board of directors, told the city public media helps residents who cannot attend meetings or events in person. "A lot of folks that unfortunately aren't able to get to a lot of the meetings ... certainly can watch them on TV," Dwyer said, saying the service helps older residents, working families and others stay informed.

Specialized cable counsel identified several specific terms of the negotiated renewal. Attorney August said Comcast agreed to the maximum local franchise fee permitted by law — 5 percent of gross subscriber revenues — and to continued capital funding for equipment. Counsel also said Comcast will provide a high-definition public, educational and governmental (PEG) access channel in addition to two standard-definition channels. Counsel warned that because the 5 percent payment is based on subscriber revenue, continued "cord cutting" and subscriber losses could reduce franchise-fee revenue over time and suggested municipalities consider supplemental funding sources such as underwriting or grants.

The approved renewal is a multi-page negotiated document; city counsel and specialized cable counsel described it in the hearing record as a 61-page renewal license that was drafted and vetted by city negotiators. Attorney August said the city will file the fully signed agreement with the state Department of Telecommunications and Cable (the state DTC) and include a brief mayoral statement explaining the reasons for approval.

The public hearing record shows broad support from WPMC leadership and school representatives. Statements submitted for the record included a letter from Susan Tifo, listed as visual and performing arts curriculum coordinator for Woburn Public Schools, praising WPMC's role in filming school events and supporting student learning, and a statement from Jean Graham, president of the WPMC board, who asked the city to continue Comcast capital equipment grants in addition to access fees.

Mayor Concannon closed the hearing after public comment and, "acting in my capacity as the statutory cable license issuing authority, pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws chapter 166A," announced his approval and intention to sign and file the renewal.

Next steps specified at the hearing: Comcast must sign the negotiated license and the city will file the executed agreement and the mayor's brief approval statement with the state DTC. Counsel and staff also noted the community should monitor long-term funding because franchise-fee revenue is tied to subscriber receipts, which may decline as consumers move to streaming services.

Provenance: The public hearing and the mayor's approval are recorded in the hearing transcript. The mayor opened the hearing and described its purpose; public comments by Brian Ouellette, Jim Dwyer and submitted statements from Susan Tifo and Jean Graham are in the record; specialized cable counsel summarized negotiation outcomes and filing steps.