Saugus cable station to revert to SCTV

SAUGUS – About 4,000 voters from the Nov. 6 election got their wish last week as the Saugus Cable Television Station Board of Directors voted to return the station to its nonprofit status as Saugus Community Television.The SCTS board voted in support of the selectmen?s approval of the station?s reversion, which voters called for in the last town election with an 87 percent majority vote on the ballot question that asked, “Would you like to see Saugus Cable Television revert back to Saugus Community Television, a community-operated organization, where you have a voice, as opposed to a Board of Selectmen-controlled operation?”Operations Manager Bryan Nadeau said the reversion, effective March 1, won?t change much for viewers right away. According to a release announcing the decision, the “change will not affect the quality programming Saugus residents have grown to expect on Comcast Channels 8, 9, and 22.”Nadeau said Monday that the main change will be that SCTV, not the town, will take care of its own finances.SCTV will mark the change by rolling out a “rebranding campaign,” complete with a new logo, according to the release.The organization is hoping to bring back the citizen-driven programming it had in the past, said Nadeau, but with no new policy and procedures set in place, for now the guidelines for a citizen to run a show are the same as they were before the change in the summer of 2013.?Right now it?s going back to what was in place, but we?re reworking all that,” said Nadeau. He said the board would be working with counsel to get policies in place, and that it would be a “collaborative effort.”Board of Selectmen Chairman Ellen Faiella said her board will be a part of that effort. Going forward, she said her board will be meeting with the SCTV board to talk about a new “agreement of operation.”As of Monday, Faiella said she had not yet spoken to Chairman Jim Ravagno to plan a discussion, but said it would be open and encourage residents? comments.?The whole community has shown interest in this and needs to be included,” said Faiella.Those who want more information should contact Nadeau at 781-231-2883 or email at [email protected].