Vermont’s Community TV system is similar to Connecticut’s. The same Federal laws apply and the basics about PEG are universal.
In 1995, CT modified the PEG underwriting and regulator management. CT was one of the first states to move to statewide franchising. This benefited the cable providers enormously had as left much of the provision of services locally frozen in time. Part of the landscape is approximately $20,000 annually being dispersed to No. Branford, Guilford and Madison. I mention this because the VT report looks at how mergers may be optimal under some circumstances.
One critical difference between CT & VT is a Gross Receipts tax was put in place of which a portion goes to CT General Fund.
Another is that capital expenses (equipment, not buildings) can be partially underwritten in a grant like process in CT(PEGPETIA) that does not allow for optimal pricing of purchases and is unpredictable in its administration since 2008. WPAA-TV believes this arrangement is an abridgement of Federal Law.
Since 2009, WPAA-TV Board expended 100s of thousands of dollars to purchase and renovate a building siphoning operation funds and relying on volunteer staffing to achieve the strategic goal of a permanent sustainable home that adds to the community in more ways than providing citizens with media resources. #MoreThanTV
The use of rights of way for more than TV and the lack of equitable PEG payment in lieu of taxes by all tech services providers leveraging the (telephone) polls for profit is a nation-wide condition.
The linked story includes a podcast link.
This is your story all who have used WPAA-TV.
BTW: Thanks for being part of #TeamHercules