Vermont Legislature Commissions Study to Look at New Ways to Fund Community Media

Cable cord cutting and the changing media landscape is having an impact on Town Meeting TV and our fellow community media centers across the state and nation. Vermont advocates are working hard to ensure the long term funding of public, educational and government (PEG) access. The good news is that earlier this year, the Vermont Legislature authorized a study to look at alternative ways to fund the state's PEG operations. The PEG Study must propose financial and policy models for alternatives the the state's cable franchise fee--the primary funding source of Vermont's 25 community media centers. The PEG study will also delve into business planning options the media centers. The PEG Study's initial findings are due to the Legislature on January 15th. The PEG Study is being done by Berkshire Telecommunications Consulting, headed by Peter Bluhm, former Policy Director to Vermont Public Utility Commission and Telecommunications Director for the National Regulatory Research Institute.