Press Release: 7/9/2025

Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity In support of H.91/S.41, An Act to modernize funding for community media programming

Testimony submitted to the

Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity

In support of H.91/S.41, An Act to modernize funding for community media programming

By Nell Forgacs and Nancy Brumback, LWVMA Legislative Specialists

July 10, 2025

The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts (LWVMA), representing 44 local Leagues throughout the

Commonwealth, strongly supports H.91/S.41, which would ensure sustainable funding for local

community media programming by modernizing the way we fund this important community asset.

It is of the highest priority that we secure the funding future of community media programming to

preserve this resource. Your constituents, their municipalities, and the Leagues of Women Voters who

serve them rely on community media programming to ensure active and informed participation in, and

transparent knowledge of, their local government.

It’s no surprise that media consumption is rapidly changing; consumers are constantly searching for faster,

cheaper services. Streaming services have been able to fill that demand by providing 24/7 instant access

to media on our phones, tablets, computers, and TVs—at a fraction of the cost of cable.

Predictably, as more consumers switch their subscriptions from cable to a streaming service, the revenue

for cable providers drops. This decline in cable television revenue threatens the financial stability of local

community media programming—our local community access stations. Historically, these stations and the

infrastructure that supports them have been funded via a federally-mandated percentage of the cable

providers’ revenue.

In contrast, streaming services use the infrastructure that was put in place to deliver cable and internet

service to our homes and businesses, yet neither funds the infrastructure nor contributes funds to our local

community media.

The citizens of the Commonwealth rely on their local community access stations to stay informed and to

participate in local government. The disappearance of local newspapers in many communities has made

local community access stations an increasingly important source of information for our residents.

In recent years, local community access stations have expanded their portfolio of viewing options to

include not only live and recorded cable broadcasts, but also subscription-free, live-streamed

programming and video-on-demand options via the Internet. This has increased public access by allowing

viewers to access content for free on any device, anywhere throughout Massachusetts—or even the

world—where they have access to an Internet connection.

The impact of this upgrade is profound. Business travelers can stay connected to important local meetings

from around the world. Students and teachers can access content from their classrooms. A constituent in

the hospital can watch a public hearing from their phone or tablet. Residents of limited income can access

programming from a local library computer. Residents with disabilities can use devices and assistive

services that help them to access the content. Busy working parents can watch school committee meetings

on demand during their morning commute on the commuter rail.

Municipalities rely on community media programming to serve their residents and to protect and support

the citizens’ right to know. Municipalities rely on local community access stations to broadcast, stream,

record, and preserve Town Meetings, town forums, public hearings, and innumerable board, committee,

subcommittee, commission, and council meetings.

During the worst of Covid, municipalities depended on local community access stations to facilitate and

support the rapid transition to remote municipal meetings. Post-pandemic, community access stations are

integral partners in the transition to innovative hybrid formats that combine in-person and remote

participation in municipal meetings, hearings, and forums. Increased access to local government depends

upon this municipal partnership with local community access stations.

Similarly, the Leagues of Women Voters around the state rely on their partnership with local community

access stations to produce and make widely available programs that support an active and informed

electorate. League candidates’ forums consistently rank among the community access stations’

highest-watched video-on-demand programming, and voters frequently report that candidates’ forums and

other League programming had a direct impact on their voting decisions. In Sudbury, the programs for the

most popular contested races received close to 600 on-demand views this year—in addition to the cable

broadcast views—for an election in which around 2,400 voters cast their vote.

The League also encourages active participation in local government by partnering with their local cable

access station to produce and make widely available programs that help potential candidates understand

the process for exercising their right to run for office. The Sudbury League’s “How to Run for Office”

program has received close to 2,000 on-demand views since 2018 and has been viewed by both those

interested in becoming candidates and local teachers supporting civics education in our public schools.

In addition, the League’s partnership with local community access stations allows the Leagues of Women

Voters in Massachusetts to provide a wide range of informational programming related to issues of direct

importance to their communities. Past forums have included information and resources on urgent issues

like youth mental health, opioid addiction, racial and social justice, environmental justice, and gun

violence prevention.

The League of Women Voters believes that democratic government depends upon the informed and active

participation of its citizens at all levels of government and that governmental bodies must protect the

citizen’s right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed actions, holding open meetings, and making

public records accessible.

Community media programming is integral to achieving these goals but will not survive unless the way in

which we fund it is updated. The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts and our 44 local Leagues

serving over 155 communities from Cape Cod to the Berkshires urge you to report H.91/S.41 swiftly and

favorably out of committee to ensure adequate funding to support the survival of this vital community

asset. This is an urgent and intelligent investment in the future of our democracy.

We thank you for your consideration.