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Westborough TV appeals to town as cable revenue falls; finance panel recommends subsidy
Summary
Westborough TV told the Advisory Finance Committee it has drawn down reserves as cable franchise revenues fell since 2020 and forecast a $150,000 shortfall for FY26. The committee voted to recommend Article 8: a $275,000 transfer from franchise receipts and $151,685 appropriation to sustain the station’s services.
Westborough TV told the Town of Westborough’s Advisory Finance Committee on Feb. 27 that declining cable-franchise revenue has created a structural shortfall and asked the town to formalize a subsidy to preserve local broadcasting of meetings and community events.
Town Manager Christy Williams opened the presentation by showing a short video of Westborough TV’s community coverage and said the warrant now lists firm numbers for Article 8: a $275,000 transfer from the cable‑TV enterprise fund and an additional appropriation request. She said the select board is negotiating a contract that would formalize the town’s financial support if needed.
Steve Hart, chair of Westborough TV’s board, said the station historically relied entirely on franchise fees but has been drawing down cash reserves since about 2020 as more households “cut the cord.” Hart said expenses have risen and that the station’s reserves could be exhausted by June without additional town support. He described an external financial review that found the operation “lean” compared with peer stations.
Karen Henderson, general manager of Westborough TV, told the committee that subscriber counts have fallen (from more than 6,600 at one point to roughly 3,000 in recent reporting) and that non‑franchise income such as grants and gifts provided only limited relief (she said roughly $24,000 raised last year). She said the station is pursuing fundraising, grant opportunities and state‑level legislation to extend franchise‑like fees to streaming providers but that such measures, if enacted, would not take effect in the near term.
Committee members asked about alternatives including regionalization, occupying space in a future community center to reduce facility costs, and monetizing digital content. Westborough TV said it had investigated monetization and regional approaches but that results were limited and that a town subsidy is the immediate need to preserve current services.
After discussion, Member [speaker 5] moved to recommend Article 8 — a transfer of $275,000 from the cable‑TV enterprise fund and to raise and appropriate $151,685 for the FY2026 cable TV budget — and the committee voted unanimously to recommend the article to town meeting.
Next step: the Select Board will consider a formal contract with Westborough TV and the article will appear on the warrant for town meeting vote.
