The Town of Norwood Board of Selectmen convened an ascertainment hearing on Verizon’s cable license renewal on the evening of April 8, 2025, inviting public comment on cable-related needs, community programming and Verizon’s past performance.

Norwood Community Media (NCM) executive director Jack Tolman told the board that NCM depends on cable-subscriber funding tied to the cable license and that the station’s services — local government meeting coverage, school partnerships and live coverage of local events — justify continued support. “We receive all our funding from the cable subscribers in Norwood,” Tolman said, and NCM’s work, he said, “keeps the entire community informed about the work being done by these boards and committees.”

Station manager Megan Corbett detailed the scope of NCM’s local-government coverage: “NCM provides coverage for 15 boards and committees recording approximately 20 government meetings each month.” She said the coverage shows how public resources are allocated and how volunteer committees and staff work to improve the town.

Students and school staff described a daily, hand-in-hand relationship between NCM and Norwood High School (NHS). A junior from NHS said the proximity and shared studio resources make an unusually strong high-school broadcast program possible, allow hands-on learning in a state-of-the-art studio and give students access to production equipment and mentorship that would otherwise be unavailable. NCM volunteers and staff assist with equipment, remote productions and training, the speakers said, and that technical support helped NHS win a national contest medal earlier this year.

Speakers from NCM listed a range of community services that rely on the license and the station’s funding: exercise programs for seniors, live parades and events for residents who cannot attend in person, promotion of library and recreation programs, live sports broadcasts for high-school athletics and coverage of fundraising events by local nonprofits. Tolman described a 10-year capital plan to maintain the station’s equipment inventory and said NCM planned targeted equipment investments to keep studio and field production current.

Town attorney William August explained that federal law requires the town to hold ascertainment proceedings as part of the license renewal process and that the local record may remain open for further written comment after tonight’s hearing closes. The board and counsel also invited written comments addressed to William Plasco, town liaison on cable issues.

The board did not take an immediate vote on license terms at the hearing; the meeting served to gather testimony for the town’s renewal file. The selectmen closed the hearing after speakers finished and said the town would accept further written comments for the record.

Why it matters: The cable license funds local public, educational and governmental (PEG) access and capital support for Norwood Community Media. Those funds underwrite civic meeting coverage, school media training and live event broadcasts — activities speakers said matter to residents who rely on local TV for news and civic information.

What’s next: The board’s license-review process will continue with the town manager and counsel, and the selectmen’s office will accept written comments to be included in the renewal record.