Franklin TV: Impact!

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 05/10/2026 

It has begun. The erosion of community media is happening – and accelerating – in zip codes here and there – in cities and towns great and small (especially small.) It’s pernicious march is on the move across Massachusetts and many other states. Community Media Centers are working harder than ever to improve and expand their local services while facing shrinking budgets due to cable cord-cutting.

Some services are mandated by state law. Some by federal law. We are obligated by the state to cover local government meetings. Next year we’ll also be required by the FCC to add closed caption services to our programming. These and all the other programs we offer are services for which there are no public funds. We’re supported by cable company access fees. As our working budget shrinks we will eventually be forced to do less work – to reduce our level of service – somehow.

Some community media facilities are already downsizing their studios and staff – or merging with other media centers, or worse – closing. Some are seeking additional financial support from towns whose tax bases are already stretched and struggling to maintain municipal infrastructure and services.

Hadley, MA, an idyllic town with around 5,300 residents, just held its annal town meeting where citizens had to consider and vote on a range of tax override options from painful to very painful. Yet, they approved $40 thousand dollars as a one-year stipend to support Hadley Media. That’s about $8 dollars per capita for annual community media support – voted by a wide majority with little dissent. That’s one for the win column – for now.

Belmont Media is moving – distributing their facility footprint to a smaller space in the town’s new library – and to the middle school and high school – and selling off much of their studio equipment. It’s a smart reconfiguration that will help them maintain services where most relevant.

Here in Franklin we’ve long prepared for this difficult time of deficit spending. We’re working every dollar we have, continuing to actually expand our services while carefully managing our operational spend and cash reserves. Our positive impact on Franklin remains as strong as ever – while we also brace for impact.

And – as always –

Thank you for watching. 

Thanks for listening to wfpr●fm,

and staying informed at Franklin●news.

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf