Cable Advisory Committee — September 28, 2026

The Fairhaven Cable Advisory Committee convened on September 28, 2026, to review operational updates and prepare for the town's upcoming cable franchise license renewal. The committee approved the previous meeting's minutes before hearing the director's nine-month report. The director highlighted that the department had broadcast 276 municipal meetings, produced 483 original programming hours, and logged over 335,000 views across platforms in 2026. The committee also discussed upcoming community programming, including the town's annual Halloween event on October 30th, and expressed serious concerns regarding Fairhaven's educational access channel, which remained off the air due to server issues despite receiving roughly 44% of the cable franchise fee distribution.

Following a brief recess, the committee welcomed Attorney William Solomon to advise on franchise renewal strategies for the Comcast contract set to expire in 2028. Solomon analyzed recent trends in cable subscriber declines, noting that while subscriber numbers have dipped, gross revenues have remained relatively stable. He recommended securing strong PEG capital funding rather than relying strictly on per-subscriber fees, advocating for a combination of set annual payments and a percentage of gross revenues, as well as negotiating for up to three high-definition (HD) channels and electronic programming guide integration.

The committee also engaged in an extensive legal and technical discussion concerning subscriber cord-cutting, streaming services like Xfinity Stream, and the regulatory challenges posed by the FCC regarding franchise fees on broadband and internet services. Attorney Solomon estimated his renewal legal services would cost approximately $10,000 at a municipal rate of $225 per hour. The committee agreed to begin internal preparations in October ahead of preliminary negotiations with Comcast later in the fall before adjourning.

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