Saugus selectmen chair quick to respond to SCTV letter

SAUGUS – Selectmen Chairwoman Ellen Faiella wasted no time in responding to the most recent volley from the Saugus Community Television Board of Directors, a letter to the editor from board member Janice Jarosz.In a statement issued by Faiella in response to Jarosz’s letter, published in The Daily Item July 31, she maintained that she never told SCTV employees that they were no longer permitted to communicate with SCTV board members.”I did tell the employees of the PEG (public, educational, government) Access Channels that they were to answer to the new board of (the Saugus Community Television Station) and just to proceed and do their jobs,” said Faiella.In addition, she pointed out that none of the station employees have been affected by the six-month-old conflict.”At no time has the Board of Selectmen sought to replace any of the employees of the PEG Access Channels,” Faiella said.She explained that SCTV was replaced by another entity, SCTS, after SCTV declined to acknowledge that the public access channels were governed by selectmen, as stated in the board’s licensing agreement with Comcast, the town’s cable TV provider.However, Faiella said that all attempts to handle the matter out of court have failed; it has since gone to litigation.”They were under a different impression than we are,” she said of the SCTV board.Since resorting to legal recourse, SCTV has filed two complaints against the selectmen, challenging their vote to create SCTS. However, neither case has been resolved.”SCTV board members have no authority to act as the overseers of the PEG Access Channels,” Faiella said.The most recent legal action took place two weeks ago when an injunction filed by SCTV was denied.”The members of the Board of Directors of SCTV have refused to acknowledge reality,” Faiella said.