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Select Board hears near-final Charter franchise terms; PEG funding, HD upgrade and $20,000 capital payment highlighted
Summary
Cable advisory and Westborough TV reported a near-complete renewal with Charter proposing a five-year license, PEG funding at 5% of GAR, a $20,000 one-time capital payment and an HD upgrade for the PEG channel; committee said Verizon would match the 5% under existing contract language.
Members of the Cable TV Advisory Committee and Westborough TV briefed the Select Board on a near-final franchise renewal with Charter (Spectrum) LLC and the implications for the town’s public‑education‑government (PEG) access funding.
Brian McLaughlin, chair of the Cable TV Advisory Committee, said negotiations with Charter are essentially at the finish line but the committee is still waiting on final contract language from Charter and legal review by KP Law (Jeff Blake). The summary presented to the board highlights three items the committee described as central: a proposed five‑year license term (the prior license was 10 years), PEG funding at 5% of Charter’s gross annual revenue (GAR), and a one‑time capital payment of $20,000 to the town. "We were successful ... and so once we sign this, that will cause the Verizon contract to be to move to 5%," the committee noted, citing an existing contract clause that triggers a match if another provider moves to a higher percent.
Steve Hart and the Westborough TV chair (Speaker 14) discussed operational impacts. The Westborough TV chair said earlier forecasts showed a FY27 cable‑income shortfall of about $237,000; the committee’s proposal — Charter at 5% plus a $20,000 capital payment and an anticipated Verizon match — could reduce five‑year cable income shortfalls by roughly $225,000 and lower the FY27 gap to just under $200,000. The committee also secured language providing an upgrade of a PEG channel to high definition. The contract summary also includes a provision requiring the licensee to notify the town before charging for services that have historically been provided to public buildings free of charge; the town reserved the right to discontinue services if Charter begins charging for certain drops.
Select Board members asked procedural questions about timing and the ability to call a short meeting to sign final documents after KP Law’s review. The committee said, pending receipt of final language and legal review, it would recommend the Select Board sign the agreement so operations and PEG funding can resume under the new terms.
No formal board vote on the franchise occurred at this meeting because the full contract language had not yet been delivered.
