Public Hearings–Renewal of Comcast Cable Television License will be held on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 and Thursday, April 1, 2010
The Town's license to Comcast to provide cable television service to residents will expire in September 2010. (The present license became effective in 2000.) Comcast has notified the Town that it wishes to renew its license and discussions between the Town and Comcast have begun.
A key element of the cable licenses is the financial and other support for locally-produced cable programming, furnished in Wayland by Wayland Cable Access and Media, Inc or "WayCAM." The programs produced by WayCAM are available to both Comcast subscribers, via Channel 9, and to subscribers to Wayland's other cable television provider, Verizon, via Channels 37, 38 and 39.
Local programming is generally divided into three broad categories: Public, Educational and Governmental ("PEG"). In connection with the license renewal process, the Board of Selectmen is required to hold public hearings to consider the level of support the Town needs for locally produced programming in these three areas. Accordingly, on Wednesday, March 10, the Board will hold a public hearing on Educational and Government Access programming, and on Thursday, April 1, the Board will hold a public hearing on Public Access programming and other public policy issues. Both hearings will start at 7 pm in the Town Building Large Hearing Room and interested members of the public are urged to attend and offer their views.
With the Town's issuance of a license to Verizon in January 2008, additional funding became available to WayCAM that has enabled it to increase the quantity and enhance the quality of its programming in all three PEG areas. About two-fifths of present programs are classed as Public – including Community Specials, School Sports, Library Programs and "Talking Heads" (opinions, information and discussions). Another third falls under Education – including School and High School Building Committee meetings, High School Productions and School Specials. The remaining quarter are under Government and include Town Board Meetings and Hearings, Town Meetings and Community Information (federal, state and local government and community affairs).
In providing PEG programming, WayCAM has substantial involvement with Wayland students, from the High and the Middle School, who participate, both in the classroom and as volunteers, by producing many programs and staffing others. WayCAM would like to enlarge its scope of programs by adding more from and about the Town – the Wayland community, its organizations, businesses and Town departments, thus bringing a wider spectrum of programming to the Town.
The public hearings afford Town residents the opportunity to provide their views to the Selectmen on WayCAM's current programming and operations as well as expectations for future directions of locally-produced PEG programming. In addition, the Board of Selectmen solicits residents' views by mail sent to the Selectmen at the Town Building, 41 Cochituate Road, Wayland, or by email to selectmen@wayland.ma.us.
