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Attendee urges regional approach to cable franchise and funding for local access upgrades
Summary
An attendee told the Select Board that new legislation limits long cable franchise contracts and recommended towns negotiate a single regional franchise with one attorney so fees and station upgrades can be handled jointly.
At the July 15 Select Board meeting, attendee Brooks Morton reported on a proposed regional approach to cable franchising, saying towns should coordinate negotiations and legal counsel to respond to recent legislative changes.
Morton said Tony Vigue of Community Access Television Stations of Maine indicated there is a contract agreeable to the parties and that Newry should consider joining nearby towns on a single franchise agreement and legal strategy, naming James Katsiaficas as counsel to consider. Morton said the legislation limits the length of franchise agreements — noting Newry's 15-year contract is longer than currently allowed — and that franchise-fee allocations should reflect population and hookups with a statutory maximum of 5 percent. He also reported that franchise negotiations can include requirements that cable companies pay to upgrade the local access station to high-definition rather than down-converting HD content.
The Select Board heard the report but did not take formal action; members were advised that towns are meeting regionally on Sept. 15 to discuss the issue. Any legal or contractual steps would be a separate process requiring review and possible vote at a future meeting.
