Our Collective History

Regional and national recognition for excellence & community impact in festivals hosted by the Alliance For Community Media is no longer aspirational. WPAA-TV has been honored several times for excellence since 2013. Our youth program and local producers are award-winning too. We are not just church services and talk shows. Our producers have realized personal achievements for work in a wide range of categories: Drama, performance, animation, children’s programming, and not-your-mother’s talk shows. You can see our video annual reports at the end of this page. Or, see the reports and other About WPAA-TV videos on YouTube.

Every story about the evolution of community television is community-centric, however, few are like ours, rooted in local efforts to silence speech.

The existence of WPAA-TV is testimony to the nonprofit’s mission: To provide a brave, safe, creative space for a diversity of expression within our community and beyond. WPAA-TV is more than TV. Now a media center, #wpaatv remains a place for people in Wallingford, CT to produce their own media. WPAA-TV distributes media on the local cable TV. Ironically, as fewer and fewer people have a cable TV channel in every home our presence in the community becomes more essential. Engaging people where they are and welcoming them, literally and figuratively, is the magic sauce of a commUnity.

The continued existence of WPAA-TV as a local resource is not something to be taken for granted. In 2019, the cable industry lobby threats were national. In 2022-23, they were statewide. In Wallingford, the survival challenges date back to 1993 and have been ongoing.

A Public Space – A Permanent In-Town Home

On Dec. 29, 2009, after more than a two‐year effort to acquire 41 So. Main St., alongside Town Hall, WPAA‐TV purchased a different in‐town property at 28 So. Orchard St. The adaptive renovation of the 1924 So Orchard St. cow barn became the focus of WPAA’s barn‐raising strategic plan. The effort was spearheaded by a handful of blue-collar volunteers whose children were interested in media production technology. This strategy makes WPAA-TV one of the most sustainable independent community media resources in CT. No local or state tax dollars fund WPAA, it is the people’s place.

Our 2010 Annual Community Access Provider Report recorded 2,281 in-kind hours valued conservatively at $88,771.38. When the final phases of building & property renovations were completed in 2015, volunteer service hours dedicated to barn‐raising exceeded 4,000. Property acquisition enabled the creation of a performance and community meeting space. By March 2020 WPAA-TV owned the property debt-free.

Wallingford’s Story Begins in the Public Library

WPAA-TV’s legacy as an early adopter of technology dates back to 1975. In 1975, the Wallingford Public Library secured a state grant for an around-the-clock cable TV community message board. A decade later this early adopter community communications project expanded to include a few local television programs including 200 North Main St. This show featured library staff discussing library happenings and new books. It may be the earliest community TV production, and longest-running show, in CT community media, 35 years. A core group of volunteers assisted library staff with thousands of hours of programming. In 1983, the Branford area towns, from Madison to Wallingford, secured an agreement facilitated by the Cable Advisory Council of South Central CT (CACSCC) to expand channel capacity, to three channels per town. The new franchise agreement included the provision of television production equipment in each town. The strongest argument for town-specific resources was closer proximity to facilities and resources. Most users sought resources in the evening, not within the 9-5 schedule of the cable TV company.

To qualify, each town needed to establish an independent public access board to oversee the use of equipment. On October 31, 1985, six individuals were appointed to the Wallingford Cable Television Access Board, by then-Mayor William Dickinson Jr., to oversee the use of production equipment supplied by the cable company. In the same year, the show Focus on the Mayor, a conversation between the Mayor and local journalists, ceased production.

This Cable Television Access Board was the predecessor organization of the Wallingford Public Access Association, Inc. (WPAA). Management of community media by library staff ended in 1993 over concerns about satire and free speech. The library’s Board of Governors voted to discontinue nearly two decades of progressive service. The Wallingford Cable Television Access Board was charged with evaluating its obligations & opportunities under the law and franchise agreement. The town’s Legal Department assisted with the nonprofit incorporation of the Wallingford Public Access Association, Inc. (WPAA). This support was linked to the controversy about ‘public speech’. This new nonprofit entity was designated the town’s Cable Access Provider (CAP) which had obligations under state law. As such, under the law, WPAA would be responsible for the community’s reasonable needs for Public Access. The role of CAPS would be further defined in 1995 in Public Act 95‐150 – An ACT CONCERNING COMMUNITY ACCESS OPERATIONS. The town’s approach to community media would need further communication in the local franchise and subsequent public dockets administered by the state’s regulatory agency.

In 2016, a fingerprint of control was uncovered. The appearance of goodwill by the town’s legal department limited WPAA’s purpose. The WPAA corporation was, by its origination Articles, limited to “television programs of educational value” not the reasonable needs of the people per state regulations. As a result, the governance team adopted a resolution “Restating and aligning corporate documents which concluded, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Wallingford Public Access Association, Inc. do business as WPAA-TV and Community Media Center. Subsequently, Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation were filed with the State of CT that aligned with the universal principles of community media. Concurrently, the organization ceased being a member organization.

STATEWIDE, YET LOCAL, COMMUNITY TV OPERATIONS IN CT ARE ATYPICAL

In 1995, the state took a largely unprecedented action by extending legislation from 1980 to officially establish public, education, and government television (P.E.G.) in every Connecticut community. Public Act 95-150 extended the regulatory oversight of Community Antenna TV (CATV) by the Dept. of Public Utilities Control (DPUC), later known as Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), to include funding and deployment of P.E.G. This Act is codified in CT General Statutes 16‐333. Since much of the state had already begun experimenting with local programming several community-management models existed. The town-specific model, in place across the U.S., was limited to the Hartford and Branford area. In much of CT, the companies managed service. The operational consistency across the models tracked with P.E.G. operating rules established in DPUC Docket # 82-11‐16. Subscriber fees versus per-pole use fees became the primary source of P.E.G. funding regardless of the mode of P.E.G. delivery. This change supported cable companies in several ways; most importantly, they no longer paid for their access to the polls, only their cable TV customers did. As Fortune 100 & 500 companies used the same poles for different services, transitioning from cable TV to connectivity companies, funding for community media at its peak in 1992-93 began a steady decline.

In 1996, the formal conditions of separation of Wallingford’s P.E.G. channels were finalized based on a strong interest in distancing the municipality from liabilities inherent in managing Free Speech. The nonprofit WPAA became the sole recipient of subscriber fees disbursed to Wallingford as the designated Community Access Provider (CAP). In 2008, WPAA’s CAP status was reaffirmed in a contentious regulatory proceeding (DPUC/CATV Docket #08‐04‐09).

In 2002, franchise negotiations with AT&T, later transferred to Comcast of Connecticut, LLC Branford Docket #99‐10-05, yielded a 100% net increase of funding to locally operated access organizations in each of the seven towns within the Branford Service Area. Concurrently, the cable company eliminated its direct management of the regional channel, TV 21, and community producer training obligations. The new cable company was approved for a 10-year franchise, to be reviewed for renewal in 2012. In 2002, Advisory Councils had significant responsibility in the review of cable franchises. As a result of the 2002 franchise renewal’s increase of direct funding to the towns, there came new expectations of local service within each community. By 2004, each of the seven towns was to ‘maintain regular hours of operation’ and operate as an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible space.

That changed in 2008. The state legislature eliminated franchising leaving all conditional matters to be reexamined, in limbo. In the limbo in the Comcast Branford Service area was the unique off-line intra-town cable funds allocation. In 2002, town-appointed advisory council members voted to retain a modified subscriber fee ‘conditionally’. There was an expectation that the formulae could be ‘modified’, or sunset, in 2012. Wallingford CACSCC Advisors and the WPAA Board committed to the 60/40 concession with the understanding that the allocation of funds would be reevaluated. The net effect of the 60/40 split was Wallingford, and to a lesser degree Branford, cable subscribers subsidize less populace towns. How it works: There is an equal distribution of 60% of franchise area income. The remainder is distributed based on subscriber penetration per town. PURA sets the rate for the company, not the CAP. The 60/40 rule reduced direct per-subscriber funding to Wallingford by approximately 20% annually. The rate is not disclosed and the cable companies suggest the data that determines our sustainability, including contact information for who pays the fees, is proprietary.

In 2010, WPAA TV asked the Advisory Council to review the 2002 franchise options. At that time the Advisory Council was not fully appointed. This call for a review spurred local interest in the council. Towns suddenly appointed representatives. Not surprisingly the newly appointed councilors representing the small town of No. Branford, Guilford, North Haven, and Madison (the new majority) voted to continue the 60/40 split. WPAA-TV opened a Docket because the review was not mediated or balanced. PURA ruled in line with the advisory council suggesting that it costs the same to provide the service in each town. Our data on the overlap in content and staffing was considered relevant. There was no mention of this ‘off-line’ arrangement’s compliance with the statute. The cable company’s position is we only care about the maximum paid not how it is paid. The subscribers had no voice.

The Hartford franchise operates a town-model with six nonprofit CAPS including the City of Hartford. Wallingford and East Haven suggested a review of merging operations that had a public record of shared content and staff. This kind of review was requested by state legislators this year for all of CT. During the cable advisory grant oversite era No. Branford’s channel was ‘black’ for a decade. By 2010, substantive progress was in the eye of the beholder.

30 years after it was assumed to be sorted out.

The federal and state legislation intended to provide communities with communication resources unencumbered by commercial influences. However, laws and regulations continue to be tweaked. P.A. 94-22 changed “public access” to “community access”. Select local providers pursued funding legislation from other uses of the public rights-of-way. Unfortunately, efforts for more sustainable funding put ‘community access’ as a whole, with nonprofit providers in particular, under evaluation to define what “community access” is. In 2023 (year three of legislative inaction), a 9-month-long study with nearly 50 questions about operations concluded that

current funding created unsustainable conditions; especially, for nonprofit community media and legislative action was necessary for any change.

In the 2024 short session, House Bill HB5446, crafted in-large-part by a former cable attorney, did not reach the floor. The cable-guy governor promised to veto any cable bill. The bill was falsely touted as a tax-raising bill versus ‘reform’ that would realign current use with obligations and eliminate special CT-only exemptions for cable companies.

During the study, the data we were ordered to provide exposed that the 60-40 arrangement is not in compliance with the state statute on maximum per sub payment. In Docket 21-07-26 (Annual Support Review), the Comcast Branford rate was set by PURA at $10.51. But full transparency discloses that the per CAP, per sub rate ranges from $8.51 in Wallingford to $15.13 in No. Branford. Wallingford has the lowest per sub income of any nonprofit CAP. (12.53 = Max). Our calculations show No. Haven paid at $10.70, Guilford at $11.08, Madison at $11.74, East Haven at $10.69 and Branford at $9.30. An area smaller than No. Branford, Lakeville had a rate of $10.96.

A new docket has been requested (June 6, 2024) to take action on the data provided in the study. Since 2008, approximately $285,000 of Wallingford subscriber dollars have not served Wallingford. WPAA asked the Town Council to support WPAA’s request for a review of the 60/40 practice now that there is evidence to suggest it has never been in compliance with the law.

Sustaining Community Access – Delivery Award

Our jump into the digital space was portrayed creatively in the Golden Ticket, a 2005 ‘About Access PSA’ (updated in 2013) ‘Golden Ticket‘.

Although 2007, Public Act 07‐253 nullified the franchise, the Branford Service Area towns continue to have funding inter‐dependencies. In 2009, Wallingford requested a docket to review the inter-town reallocation of funds anticipated to be part of the 2012 franchise renewal. Docket #10‐03‐02 was opened for this review. Outcome: The funding reallocation anticipated for 2012 did not occur. The details and impact have been submitted into the record for the legislatively directed 2022-23 study.

More About Community TV History

With the welcoming of Cable TV in the 1960s, communities had the potential to produce local television stories with resources provided under franchise agreements. Advocates across the nation pursued what federal legislation made possible. Connecticut regulations provide every town with some support for the production of community television. For information about the inception and transformation of Public, Education, and Government (P.E.G.) Access TV nationwide, go here.

1975	Wallingford dabbles with communication democracy tools
1985	Wallingford Cable Television Access Board appointed by the mayor
1993	WPAA was incorporated as a Public Charity to provide Community Access TV
1995	WPAA secures its first location and channel, and CT law provides every CT community with P.E.G. funding
2001	WPAA Board conditionally agrees to support the Branford Service Area towns with the 60/40 reallocation of Subscriber fees in response to Docket # 99‐10‐05 ‐Final July 31, 2002
2002	WPAA moves into a storefront location; the WPAA Board receives CACSCC Sustaining Community Access – Delivery Award for “commitment & delivery of an accessible Public Access space.”
2004	1st place winner of ACM Awards: National/No East P.E.G. promo Golden Ticket, a parody of Willy Wonka
2007	Public Act 07‐253 passes and franchise agreements cease; A state‐wide video provider entered the television provider market; WPAA adopts a Strategic Plan inclusive of a Community Building Resolution
2008	In DPUC Docket #08‐04‐09, WPAA‐TV is affirmed as Wallingford Community Access Provider (CAP); WPAA Outreach Program incorporates the mascot Freeman Penny Quinn, 1st Free Speech Ambassador
2009	WPAA‐TV relocates to 28 So. Orchard St. and completes the initial phase of the renovation project with more than 2500 Volunteer hours; With citizen support, WPAA‐TV attempts to restore Subscriber fee funding to the anticipated levels
2010	WPAA‐TV relocates to 28 So. Orchard St. and completes the initial phase of the renovation project with more than 2500 Volunteer hours; With citizen support, WPAA‐TV attempts to restore Subscriber fee funding to the anticipated levels.
2011	WPAA‐TV relocation promo wins 1st place at ACM‐NE Video Festival in the Documentary Event category; P.E.G.PETIA Docket #09‐09‐24 initiated in 2009 approved ($34,941.25) for Distribution equipment
2012	Docket #10‐03‐02 affirms that approximately $1.50 per year per Wallingford Subscriber, valued at $20,000 annually, is instead allocated to the other Branford Service Area towns indefinitely
2013	Wins 1st place ACM‐NE Award in the Diversity Empowerment category with youth program Penn’s Pals P.E.G.PETIA Docket #12‐10‐20 initiated in 2012 approved ($150,613) for StudioW Upgrade
2014	Hosts Mission Continues veteran and implements Mission Continues #W06492 Outreach Program; Receives 2013 ACM‐NE Overall Excellence Award entitled “What We Did Together”; WPAA‐TV initiates youth media employment program as a host site for Youth Social Services; Recipient of CFGNH Lisl Karen Streett Funds to continue youth initiative; WPAA‐TV approves Continuing the Mission‐Youth Initiative for 2015 Implementation
2015	#PowerfulWildFREE Outdoor Mural installation on the north‐side of the building by ARCY Murals; Hercules WPAA‐TV continues youth media employment program as a host site for Youth Social Services; P.E.G.PETIA Docket #15‐02‐12 approved ($226,722) for StudioW Upgrade completion and field equipment Receives 2014 ACM‐NE Overall Excellence Award: How we use our local short videos
2016	Initiatives launched: ROAR1st, Destination Station, studioWtheater and CommUnity Conversations WPAA‐TV continues youth media employment program as a host site for Youth Social Services; WPAA governance review: Certificate of Amendment filed. Member organization status changed.
2017	Film Initiative launched. Partnership Agreement for 10 Episode Film Project The Sparrow Falling
2018	Collaborations with Theater Groups: Hosting Connecticut Compass Theater Company and Backyard Theater Ensemble for rehearsals and actor development; Sparrow Falling News 3rd Place in ACM-NE; WPAA-TV continues; youth media employment program as a host site for Youth Social Services; codifies Annual Events
2019	Opened #SocialActionArt permanent photography exhibit StreetshotZ by Charles Buzinsky with ongoing use to support food and housing insecure programs; Won Best in the USA for our size ACM-National ACM Hometown Overall Excellence; Film Initiative Episode #3 won 1st place Arts & Drama ACM-NE; Six shows were recognized in ACM-NE Nor’Easter Festival
2020	Hosts LIVE HD Streamed award-winning Fire Escape Sessions featuring CT Musicians during Covid<
2021	ACMHometown Overall Excellence; Receives grants for youth programs in 2022 by Napier Foundation and Grass Roots Fund and CT Humanities Operations Fund Award for 2022; Finalist in Nor’Easter Festival Community Impact
2022	Launches the Be The Seed collaborative fundraiser #TheGreatGive06492 raising $50,000 for local nonprofits. TeenTigerTV youth won best PSA When I Speak Freely later recognized as best Social Impact Short by Civic Youth Project. WPAA-TV wins ACM Hometown Overall Excellence. CT Humanities and ARPA grants help with program, outreach, and staffing. Limited equipment upgrade grants for the cable casting improved day-to-day operations. Eight Nor’Easter Festival Finalists with top honors in Arts & Drama for Space Bears the Movie.
2023	The collaborative fundraiser #TheGreatGive06492 raised $100,000. TeenTigerTV youth win best PSA It Is Never Too Late Call 988 and advocacy What’s In The Bag in Hometown Festival, WPAA-TV wins ACM Hometown Overall Excellence again. Grant awards from CT Humanities and ARPA help with program and staffing. Equipment upgrades for the cable casting and youth lab keep our tech state-of-the-art. We have our best-ever showing in the ACMNE Nor’Easter Festival with six finalists. Best Profile Talk, Children’s Programs, and Community Impact with runners-up in Music & Performance, Arts & Drama, and Short Videos
2024	The collaborative fundraiser #TheGreatGive06492 raises nearly $100,000 for 13 nonprofits. TeenTigerTV Freeman’s Candyland Adventure filmed at Beaumont Farm. A Fascade Grant from WCI helps underwrite our building sign to include ‘Media Center’ and ‘Gallery’, and equipment upgrades continue. We are participating in ACMNE Nor’Easter Festival with submissiond in Profile Talk, Diversity Empowerment and more. StreetshotZ remains featured in the Nelson ‘Carty’ Ford Memorial Art Gallery dedicated on April 30th. The collection is expanded with a generous gift. We are inviting the community to participate from ‘Where They Are’ in community-contributed media initiatives.

Video Annual Reports