ATHOL – Representatives from Athol Orange Community Television and three other regional community media stations traveled to the State House last month to advocate for legislation that would create a new funding source for public access media as cable revenues decline.

AOTV joined Greenfield Community Television, Templeton Community Television and Frontier Community Access Television for the July 15 visit in support of H.91/S.41, “An Act to modernize funding for community media programming.” Representatives met with lawmakers and legislative staff, including state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton and state Rep. Susannah Whipps, I-Athol.

The community media proposal was also filed as Amendment 127 to the Senate’s economic development bill, S.3178. The amendment was ultimately withdrawn, though Comerford said the proposal could still pass during the current legislative session. The bill was reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means.

AOTV’s push for a new funding source comes as its cable revenue continues to decline. Director Liz Walber said AOTV, a public, educational and governmental access, or PEG station, has contracts with Spectrum in Athol and Orange.

Walber said that 80.7% of AOTV’s 2025 revenue came from cable subscriptions. The rest included 10.38% from an annual auction, 4% from sponsorships and 1.69% from production services and charges, along with a few other revenue sources.

According to testimony Walber submitted in support of the legislation, AOTV’s revenue in Athol and Orange has dropped 21.72% since 2018, while its livestream and video-on-demand viewership has grown. AOTV had 12,935 livestream views and 15,529 VOD views in 2023, compared with 28,541 livestream views and 44,132 VOD views in 2025. So far in 2026, as of Aug. 25, it has had 21,465 livestream views and 55,510 VOD views.

“People are cutting their cable bill and then still looking for our content online or through the app that they can get on their smart TV, so they can still watch it on their TV, but not through cable,” Walber said.

Walber said AOTV does not receive revenue from providing livestreaming or video-on-demand content. She said PEG stations currently receive funding through cable providers, while under the proposal, streaming services would be assessed and a portion of the money would go to PEG stations based on the number of subscribers in their communities.

“So it’s taking that model and just sort of laying it out on the new technology, so we think it makes a lot of sense,” Walber said.

AOTV’s programming includes municipal meetings, candidate forums, community events and high school sports. In her written testimony, Walber cited the station’s coverage of the development and passage of a new town charter in Orange and Athol’s Proposition 2 1⁄2 vote as recent examples of its local government coverage.

If the legislation passes, Walber said AOTV would still need to fundraise, but the additional revenue could allow the station to expand its programming and coverage.

“We would love to be able to employ more people in the area,” Walber said. “We would love to have producers who are at every event in Athol and Orange.”

She said AOTV would also like to expand its radio operation, develop programming with local high schools, cover more high school sports and replace aging equipment.

Comerford, who was among more than 20 senators listed on Amendment 127, said she has valued the role of community media since before taking office.

“Community media shows up; it’s present at critical moments in our cities and towns, and it allows others to be present in those moments by virtue of either livestreaming or recording,” Comerford said.

She said individual stations respond to the interests of the communities they serve, pointing to talk shows and programs involving young people as examples.

“They give voice to people. They provide training. They build capacity,” Comerford said.

As for why Amendment 127 was withdrawn, Comerford said it was not her amendment and she could not speak to what led to the decision. She said bills were still moving through the Legislature.

Comerford said she shared advocates’ disappointment.

“We’re just gonna have to press forward,” she said.