Franklin TV: Running the Numbers

The Prospective MA Streaming Media Bills

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 02/23/2025

There is pending Massachusetts legislation to help alleviate the rising financial losses that we as PEG studios are experiencing from cable cord-cutting. It would assess streaming media revenues with an ‘access’ fee to at least cover any existing shortfall from our '3-year max' historic revenue. (Per lines 73 to 94 of HD326) Our 3yr max during 2016-18 was 25% higher than today, and yes, we're still dropping. The annual rate setting language is IMHO troubling to me. There is no perfect language to cover all the arguments to be made regarding fair fees.

However, setting the streamer rate to match the cable access rate seems a logical place to start.

Example:

In 2012 we took in $600K for OpEx. (Operating Expenses) In 2017 it was $750K for OpEx. A 25% increase.

Now we're back to 2012 revenues – less than $600K OpEx and dropping. If we work with historical inflation numbers from 2012 to today, our 40% inflation adjusted income from 2012 to todayshould be $840K plus.

Note that there is also no provision for CapEx (Capital Expense) contributions from streamers for equipment upkeep. Cable's combined CapEx&OpEx for many of us is actually somewhere between 5.5% to 6%, all in.

Running the Numbers: (Assumption, 5% Stream assessment)

There are about 7 million MA residents and there are 33K residents in Franklin. That sets Franklin’s population at about 0.0047 of the statewide population.

Persons per Household (HH) 2019-2023: 2.45

MA Households, 2019-2023: 2,800,000

HH with internet 2019-2023: 91.8%

MA HH adjusted for Internet: 2,576,000

What do streaming services cost?

Netflix 8 with ads, or 18 up to 25 for premium Hulu 10/ads to 19

Prime 9 (streaming only)

Apple+ 10

Max         10/ads 17 21 prem

Disney+ 10/ads 16

Paramount+ 8/ads 13

Peacock 8/ads 14

ESPN 12

 

Key Takeaways:

21% of households pay for 2 streaming services.

24% of households (HH) pay for at least 3 additional streaming services. 25% spend more than $75 per month on streaming subscriptions.

10% have "no idea" how much they spend.

41% of respondents admit to using a family member's or friend's login to avoid paying for a service.

With 3 to 4 services the average HH spend is $45 to $50/mo.

The Projection:

2,576,000 HH x $45/mo x 12mo = $1,381,020,000/Yr.

$1,381,020,000 x 5% = $69,552,000 to MA PEG studios.

$69,552,000 x 0.0047 = $326,894.40 to Franklin.TV

If we combine this with $575,000.00 (our current OpEx) Our cable/stream total: $901,894.40

This total would also provide some embedded CapEx contribution. (Note: There is no factoring here for Gamers, (Twitch, etc.) or for CapEx.)

This also yields a simple rule-of-thumb:

Cable revenues at 5% are about $19 dollars per citizen/year.

Streaming fees of 5% = $10 dollars per citizen/year in an average community.

A 5% access assessment on streaming services is both equitable and affordable. Note that more viewers are also turning to our own streaming service to watch our school sports, civic events and government meetings – for free – in HDTV, which the cable company standard TV channels do not offer.

Pete Fasciano, Franklin.TV

And – as always –

Thank you for watching.

Thank you 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   

Watch Listen Read all things that matter in Franklin MA

MIAA reminder on growing trend of scams posing as legitimate sporting events

Thank you to @boston25 and the Better Business Bureau for the story on the growing trend of scams posing as legitimate video streams of events.

Be sure to look for links from official school accounts, the MIAA or NFHS Network. "Check before you click." 

https://t.co/SWSDpGF1My

Shared from -> https://t.co/276vwiAuH1

MIAA reminder on growing trend of scams posing as legitimate sporting events

Edison Research: "streaming now accounts for 12% of AM/FM radio listening in the US"

"Edison Research’s Share of Ear® shows highest proportion ever of AM/FM Listening to streaming v. over-the-air

 The most recent Share of Ear® study from Edison Research finds that 12% of all AM/FM radio listening is via streaming, while 88% of listening is done to a traditional, over-the-air radio signal.

AM/FM radio content in the U.S. is now available through a variety of digital apps and devices, making radio listening possible on computers, smartphones, smart speakers, and through radio station websites, apps, and third party apps. Although streaming AM/FM content continues to see small amounts of incremental growth each year, and at 12% is the highest measure yet, the largest amount of listening goes to the over-the-air (OTA) signals from devices such as car radios and clock radios."

Continue reading the article online  https://www.edisonresearch.com/streaming-now-accounts-for-12-of-am-fm-radio-listening-in-the-u-s/

For more about Share of Ear®   https://www.shareofear.com/

You can help increase the 12% by listening to Franklin Public Radio where ever you are on the internet at wfpr.fm

Edison Research’s Share of Ear® study is the only research that measures the entire world of audio, looking at platform of listening, time of day, device on which the audio was consumed, the kind of programming, and the location of listening

 

School Committee video available

The video broadcast of the School Committee meeting Tuesday January 13th is now available on the Town web site here

You can also view the complete January meeting archive here and then select the meeting you would like to see.

Streaming Video - Historic event

There was a significant historical event this week. The first Town Council meeting was streamed live over the web on Wednesday evening.

What does that mean?
Instead of being in your home with a cable subscription, you can now view a town meeting via your computer. This means that anyone with interest to find the meeting can view it anywhere in the world via the internet and their computer.

Since only 90+% of the town has access to cable, how much this will enable those who don't have cable access is open for discussion.

What will this streaming live change?
I think it will be interesting to see how this will change the meetings, if anything changes at all.

• Will the various board and committee members improve their personal behavior and conduct now that they can be viewed around the world?
• Will the nature and presentations of the meetings themselves be modified now that there is a worldwide audience?
• Will there be an increase in viewing amongst the people in the town?
  

The one drawback I see is that the availability of the meeting via the internet may reduce the actual physical attendance in the room. Only those who actually need to be there to participate in the meeting will continue to be present. On the other hand, the worldwide audience may actually increase the participation due to the exposure.

How do you view the meeting?

1. On your computer, open your favorite browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.)
2. Navigate to the Franklin website home page
3. Follow the link on the notice for the live streaming (I have not yet found another way to get to this live streaming or archive. I assume there will be an additional path put on the site at some time.)
4. The first time you view a meeting, Microsoft Silverlight will require to be installed. Once installed, you'll need to close your browser and restart the browser. After this installation, you should be able to go direct to view either the live or an archived program.
5. You can view the meeting from beginning to end or skip to sections according to the published agenda.

Have you viewed a meeting yet?

What do you think of this?

Live reporting - Town Council meeting 2

Attending: Whalen, Bartlett, Feeley, Pfeffer, Doak, McGann, Zollo

Absent: Mason, Vallee


A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – November 19, 2008, December 3, 2008, December 10, 2008,
and December 17, 2008 Regular & Executive Session

approved - 7-0


B. ANNOUNCEMENTS none

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS none

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

Robert Dean, Chairman of the Cable Advisory Committee, talks about the new live feed of the Town Council meetings. Chapters will be available in the archive.