Select Board backs state bill to apply franchise‑fee style surcharge to streaming services for community media funding

Select Board members voted March 12 to send a letter supporting state legislation that would impose a small surcharge on streaming‑only video providers to fund community media and public access services. Representatives of Nantucket Community Television (NCTV) described the measure as an effort to align streaming companies with legacy cable franchise obligations that historically funded PEG operations.

Charles Douglas, station manager for NCTV, told the board the bill language recently changed to H.91 and S.41 and now has more than 40 House sponsors and nearly 20 Senate sponsors. He said many states have already extended franchise‑fee style obligations to streaming platforms and that the proposed Massachusetts bill would create a similar funding mechanism for community media. Charles noted Nantucket has experienced a decline in cable subscriptions and corresponding franchise fee revenue following cord‑cutting trends, and the town’s cable revenue has begun to fall.

Select Board members approved a motion to send a letter of support. Members also agreed it would be useful to invite the station’s executive director to a future meeting to update the board on NCTV’s work and how the funding mechanism would support local productions and civic access.