News Director Jenn Adams manages the control room as Gina Dacey, an intern, reads the news updates for Wednesday October 15 in NewTV’s studio. (photo: Charlie Johnson)
For more than three decades, NewTV has served as Newton’s hub for civic storytelling — broadcasting government meetings, local news, and educational programming across its public, education, and government (PEG) channels, as well as its weekly Newton News. But as residents increasingly move from cable subscriptions to streaming platforms, the core revenue that supports this community media across Massachusetts is steadily drying up.
Executive Director Bob Kelly told Fig City News that NewTV is adapting to a funding system that did not anticipate consumers “cutting the cord” on cable TV with the rise of Internet streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu. Under the federal framework established by the Cable Act of 1992, local access centers like NewTV are financed largely through franchise fees paid by cableTV providers – money collected from subscribers and passed through to municipalities like Newton to support PEG channels. Now, with cable subscribers dwindling, NewTV and other access stations are backing statewide legislation that would apply a similar fee to streaming platforms, to help replace the revenue lost to cord-cutting.
NewTV’s public channel allows residents to produce their own shows and other types of programming. In the educational channel, local school students and interns learn production and storytelling skills. NewTV offers a variety of workshops, internships, and production training opportunities. The government channel is responsible for broadcasting (and storing) videos of meetings of the City Council, School Committee, and other governmental bodies – all of which expanded to include Zoom meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I look at us as a community center with a media flair,” Kelly said.
