Wakefield committee finalizes WCAT survey, sets mid-September ascertainment hearing

The Wakefield Cable Advisory Committee voted unanimously to finalize the community needs ascertainment survey for WCAT (Wakefield Cable Access Television) and scheduled a public ascertainment hearing for mid-September.

Shane, a committee member, moved to close the survey questions “pending nobody has anything else to add,” and Eric, a committee member, seconded. The motion passed unanimously, formalizing the questions and clearing the way for distribution.

Why it matters: The ascertainment will document how residents use local PEG (public, educational and governmental) media and will feed into upcoming cable license negotiations and funding conversations. Committee members said the results will help the town and cable providers prioritize services and funding allocations for WCAT.

What the survey covers: Committee members reviewed draft questions about how residents get information, satisfaction with video media services, which formats they use (online/streaming versus cable), whether the PEG station should be funded from town fees or cable-provider revenues, and demographic items (e.g., living arrangement, children in public schools). The committee agreed to keep as few required questions as possible and to include a nonrequired question about how many hours respondents watch local media.

Distribution and outreach: The committee will distribute the survey online (hosted by WCAT) and produce paper copies for town hall, precinct locations and other high-traffic spots. Members discussed using town channels, the local newspaper (the Daily Item) and WCAT’s outlets to notify residents. The committee asked the town administrator’s office to assist with posting and outreach; Shane offered to draft a press release and will be connected with Brian McCubbin to coordinate dissemination.

Timing: Ian (a presenter working on the survey) said the survey could be pushed out as soon as this week, with the public ascertainment hearing targeted for early September. Committee discussion settled on the week of Sept. 14 with a preference for Wednesday or Thursday (Sept. 16 or 17) at 7 p.m. so town council and school committee members can attend.

Local context and metrics: The meeting included an update on audience metrics reported to the committee: WCAT’s subscriber count was cited as 5,924 in 2024 and 5,328 in 2025, a decline of 596 subscribers (about 10.1 percent), underscoring concerns about funding sources linked to cable subscriptions.

Next steps: With the survey questions closed, committee staff will finalize the online form, arrange physical distribution points and publicize the hearing date once venues are confirmed. The committee plans to accept written input until the hearing and to document findings in a brief report for use in license negotiations.