Did you know that the area communities have TV channels dedicated to providing public announcements, area activities, and town government meetings? These channels are referred to as PEG Access Channels. PEG is an acronym for Public, Education, Government. Cable subscribers can access this content on channel 9 in Townsend.
Townsend’s PEG channel is managed by Townsend Community Access Media (TCAM), a nonprofit organization developed to manage this service. It is not a town department.
This service is part of the town’s contract with cable television providers. The channels are only available for households that subscribe to cable television. Only about half the households in Townsend have cable TV.
At the end of 2022 Townsend had the lowest number of cable subscribers in 20 years. That trend is expected to continue. Residents are turning to streaming content instead of watching cable TV. They’ve realized that there are more choices for entertainment online and at a much cheaper prices than what cable offers.
Public access channels may no longer be relevant since no one is watching.
Townsend’s Current Cable Contract Ends in 2026.
The negotiation for renewal will undoubtedly be different than any previous contract.
It will not be a simple process of cleaning up some of the language and updating technical information. It will be a significant reduction of funding. The money going to TCAM is based on revenue from cable subscribers. They should expect drastic reductions in annual revenue over the next couple of years.
For those who think that changing cable companies is an option, try again. Townsend can negotiate a contract with Comcast or Charter to provide cable to less than 2000 households who still have cable. By 2026, that number may be less than 1000 at the pace cable subscriptions are headed. Most of the households contracted have dwindled their services to internet only.
The town’s residents have contracts with Comcast for their internet which includes security systems, equipment rentals, and even some of the streaming services they have migrated to. Should the town choose to switch from Comcast, this means residents will have to replace equipment and be in jeopardy with existing contracts with not only Comcast, but services connected to Comcast. Renegotiating with a new cable provider has little to do with television channels. There is no good reason to switch away from Comcast.
Many residents have been able to access internet services through 5G providers. The availability of 5G will eventually make cable internet irrelevant and cable contracts may go extinct for residential users.
Municipalities have no control over 5G internet access as this service is provided by the wireless companies, the folk that provide cell service, Verizon, ATT&T, and T-Mobile. Residents can use whichever service they want, based on availability, without government interference.
What to Watch Out For
Residents should be evaluating what is available for TV viewing other than cable. They should also start paying attention to what options are developing for internet access. Changes are occurring daily.
Town government, the Board of Selectmen in particular, should be reviewing what is happening in the cable, television, and internet marketplace. They should educate themselves about the drastic drops in cable subscribers in Townsend and how that affects other town services as well as the town’s relationship with TCAM. The town should develop a plan for taking over some of the services provided by TCAM and distribute media (government meetings) on their own.
TCAM needs to review what the future holds for them. If PEG access is no longer needed, neither are they. They are certainly facing significant cuts in their budget and will need to be prepared to possibly shut down. Cutting expenses, including salaries, should be expected.
Stay tuned. This story will be growing over the next year.
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