SWAMPSCOTT — The town needs help designing the future of public access television.
Swampscott is seeking community members to join a new “Television Visioning” committee where they will provide perspectives on programming and get residents more involved in content creation.
These conversations will inform the negotiations and the request that the town delivers to Verizon in 2021 and Comcast in 2026.
“Contract negotiations are an opportunity to ask for increased funding, for both operating expenses and equipment costs,” reads a release from the town website.
Swampscott Public Access TV broadcasts on channel 22 for Comcast, and channel 41 for Verizon. The contract is set to expire in November.
Right now, the Swampscott access programming is limited to government meetings and certain town events. According to Joe Douillette, the cable TV coordinator, it is possible that a new contract could lead to a significant expansion of content, which a lot of residents appeared to be interested in.
“I’ve had a lot of requests for additional programming,” said Douillette.
Douillette pointed out that the additional program would be paid for largely through an increase in fees for the subscribers. The committee’s role will be to weigh the benefits and costs of this potential expansion.
“We want to hear what people want — and is it worth an additional fee,” he said. “How would it be done?”
The contract with Verizon has not been updated since 2006, while the Comcast contract was last updated in 2015.
Under the initial contract, Verizon paid $225,000 though a grant to assist in producing public access TV. Additionally, the contract required that Verizon’s subscribers contribute 2.75 percent of their gross annual revenue to support public access. The more recent contract with Comcast required that their subscribers contribute a slightly higher rate of 3.1 percent of their gross annual revenue.
The committee of 11 will include four members of the town staff negotiating team, one member of the Select Board, and a residents from the following groups:
One member from the local arts community, one member from the local youth sports community, one member of the Board of Library Trustees (or a designee), one member of the Swampscott for All Ages Committee (or a designee), one Swampscott High School Alumnus and one member of the Open Space and Recreation Committee (or a designee).
Those selected to join the committee will be expected to attend all meetings, which will run until early summer 2021. The general public will also be invited to observe and contribute to these meetings.
Douillette, who also works as a media arts teacher at Swampscott High School, was interested in the idea of expanding content creation.
“One of the things I love is teaching people how to present material through media,” said Douillette. “If there are people that are excited about doing it then it would be fun to have it.”
To be considered for appointment to the committee, the town requests that residents submit their name, address, phone number, and a brief statement describing their interest and any background information Allie Fiske at [email protected] by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20.
Guthrie Scrimgeour can be reached at [email protected].
