Cable-access director warns subscriber decline putting station finances at risk

James Marshall, station manager for New Bedford Cable Access, told the City Council the station's main operating revenue comes from a 5% fee on Comcast cable subscriber bills and that subscriber counts have dropped by about 11,000 over the last five years.

Marshall said the station does not receive regular tax funding and instead relies on Comcast payments, periodic capital checks and limited rental income (the Coast Guard rents part of the building). He described rising health-care and pension liabilities, the cost of replacing aging production equipment and servers, and trouble forecasting revenue because Comcast payments vary by subscriber tier and pay-per-view activity.

City staff said the studio requested a transfer of about $230,917 in free cash to bridge the budget; Marshall said he may not use the full transfer if revenue and capital receipts change. He described one-off capital purchases made in recent years (editing computers, studio cameras, portable equipment and a server) and said a larger building heating-unit replacement may be needed in the future.

On potential new revenue sources, Marshall said state legislation has been proposed to charge streaming services a 5% fee (2% to communities, 2% to cable access providers and 1% to the state), but the bill has not been scheduled for a vote. Councilors asked about staffing, capital needs and the station's reliance on Comcast receipts; Marshall said many municipalities face similar declines and that the station is seeking grants, sponsorships and cooperative advertising to stretch the budget.