Downing alleges threats from SCTS new board chairman

SAUGUS – Mike Downing, host of the “Downin? Town” show on Saugus Community Television Station, said the new chairman of the SCTS Board of Directors tried to stop him from taping a show last week.Downing said Christopher Peatridge threatened Operations Manager Rich Garabedian?s job at the station, and said he was going to have Downing “trespassed from the station and banned” as he prepared to tape a special episode.?It was extremely clear he didn?t want my show to go on under the guise of calling it a new program,” Downing said. “He threatened to have me banned and kicked off the property. First of all, I?m a member and have been there for three-and-a-half years. I don?t know how it?s going to play out. If and when I do go back, they?re going to set up road blocks in my mind to not allow that to happen.”According to Downing, Peatridge told Garabedian to “be smart” about doing the show and to not “create anymore waves” because on Aug. 1 it?s a “whole new ballgame.”When reached by phone Monday morning, Peatridge declined to comment and abruptly hung up the phone.However, Janice Jarosz, treasurer of the Board of Directors, defended Peatridge.?I was there with Chris and that?s not true,” said Jarosz. “That was never said. Mr. Downing was never threatened. Nobody has stopped him.”What was formerly Saugus Community Television, or SCTV, officially became SCTS on Aug. 1 after the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously last month to take control of what was formerly a non-profit cable access station.Despite Downing?s claims, Garabedian said Friday things were “quiet” at the station since the change.?There haven?t been any major issues or major changes other than the name of the company,” Garabedian said. “Now it?s Saugus Cable Television Station, and we have the new logo up and we?re changing some of that branding around. There hasn?t been any issues with airing or programming or non-airing. It?s kind of just wait and see what comes next.”According to Garabedian, the “Downin? Town” special aired last week and has aired “multiple times since.”?I haven?t heard any issues from anybody,” Garabedian said. “It went up. It?s on. They haven?t pulled it.”Hopefully we won?t have issues like that and maybe everyone can get on the same page. I think that?s showing wisdom on the board?s part to let it go.”The SCTS Board of Directors met for the first time on Wednesday and Garabedian said members “briefly mentioned” advertising the jobs currently held by SCTS staff.Jarosz said she thinks the board will discuss that further at its next meeting on Aug. 29.?I think it?s just a process,” Jarosz said. “I don?t even know if we?re going to do that.”Garabedian said he had been told “multiple times by multiple people” that he had “nothing to worry about” concerning his job as operations manager.?I love Saugus,” Garabedian said. “I love what I do here and I want to keep doing it effectively. I feel like we?re still an effective entity here. You have to put things into perspective. You want everything to work smoothly. With any change, you make it what you want it to be and I want it to be a positive change. This will give the town a fresh start. Hopefully everything will work out better.”Former board member Peter Rossetti said he chose not to reapply because he “didn?t care” for the changes, including “having the board members be in control, and having the Board of Selectmen appoint all the members and change the rules at any point.”Rossetti said he thinks the changes will make things “a lot more difficult” at SCTS.?As we?ve already seen they?ve started rejecting programs, saying new programming can?t be aired,” Rossetti said. “When I was on the board, (the board members) didn?t have control over programming.”Jarosz, however, said she thinks the change is “great” and will get more people involved with the station, especially students.?There are so many things that can be done to get people more interested,” Jarosz said. “At the first meeting we said we want to c