TCTV told viewers that the station’s business plan was presented at the Aug. 27 select board meeting and that the station faces a funding crisis driven by declining cable subscribers.
A TCTV speaker summarized subscriber losses over six years and said annual losses have been steep — describing an accelerating decline from 2019 onward and stating the station currently loses “more than… at least a 150 a year.” The transcript records the host saying, “If TCTV doesn't have adequate funding, we might not even exist next year.”
At a meeting, TCTV asked the select board to approve a contract and sign it, and to permit hiring two part-time employees (10 hours per week each) budgeted in the current fiscal year; the request also asked that town meeting consider an article to use retained earnings to cover immediate needs. The transcript records a plea for hiring help for the select board office, parks and rec concession workers, and two part-time staff for TCTV to deliver digital-equity work under the awarded grant.
TCTV also raised organizational-history and accounting issues discussed at recent advisory committee meetings and noted the need to reconcile receivables (ambulance accounts remain) and to consider a preferred-vendor list or hiring-freeze measures where appearance of favoritism was a concern. The transcript records that accounting work continues and that some reconciliations remain outstanding.
The transcript does not record a select board vote on the requested hires or the retained-earnings article; it records the station’s presentation of subscriber trends, staffing requests, and the request that the board sign the contract. Details not specified include exact budget figures for the hires, salary amounts, whether the select board approved the contract or hires in subsequent action, or the results of advisory committee recommendations.