Item Coversheet


Town of Arlington, Massachusetts


Article 64
Warrant Article Title:

APPROPRIATION / ARLINGTON COMMUNITY MEDIA 

Warrant Article Text:

To see if the Town will vote to make an appropriation for a sum or sums of money for the purpose of a direct financial payment to Arlington Community Media, Inc., with any necessary contract, for its educational and/or governmental access cable television services, said sum or sums to be in addition to the sums provided for by the cable franchise agreements and cable licensing fees, and determine how the money shall be raided [sic] and expended, including the possibility of borrowing all or some of same; or take any action related thereto.

Requested by:

Inserted at the request of Nancy Flynn-Barvick and ten registered voters

Report Excerpt:

VOTE: 13-5-1

COMMENT: Arlington Community Media, Inc. (“ACMi”) receives 5% of the revenue derived from cable subscriptions as its major funding source. With residents flocking to streaming services and canceling cable subscriptions, it has been evident for several years now that this traditional funding model for ACMi, and all community access network companies, is insufficient to meet its expenses. ACMi has yet to be agile enough to pivot to other revenue sources. A majority of Finance Committee members believes that the educational and governmental access services that ACMi provides is sufficiently valuable to our community and our town democracy to warrant a one-time appropriation to aid it in its transition to a more sustainable financial model. ACMi should not expect to receive additional monies from the general fund in the future.

Vote Language:

That the sum of $100,000 be and hereby is appropriated to Arlington Community Media, Inc., to be expended solely for the purpose of providing educational and governmental services to the Town of Arlington.  Said sum shall be raised by general tax and expended as directed by the Town Manager.