Franklin TV station plans move to new studio
Dec 19, 2012 at 12:01 AM Dec 19, 2012 at 7:05 PM
The Franklin Community Cable Access Co. will soon depart its cramped Main Street quarters for a bigger studio on Hutchinson Street. The upgrade will mark the first step in the newly formed nonprofit organization's sweeping expansion plan. Executive Director Peter Fasciano said a larger studio allows the local station to "do a better job of covering school sports, holiday events, all of the things that define the community."
The Franklin Community Cable Access Co. will soon depart its cramped Main Street quarters for a bigger studio on Hutchinson Street.
The upgrade will mark the first step in the newly formed nonprofit organization's sweeping expansion plan.
Executive Director Peter Fasciano said a larger studio allows the local station to "do a better job of covering school sports, holiday events, all of the things that define the community."
In 2009, the town took the reins of the public access station from Comcast.
In the last 10 years, Comcast has ceded control of cable access stations in communities across the state, leaving town officials left to worry over how to run the studios. Most often, this means the formation of an advisory board and then a nonprofit company such as Franklin Community Cable Access, also known as Franklin TV.
In May, Milford officials signed a license agreement with the town to take over its public access channel, Milford TV. There are plans to build a new studio for the station on South Main Street.
Public access stations such as Milford TV and Franklin TV get their funding from residents' cable bills. The towns' two cable providers - Comcast and Verizon - pay about 4 percent of the revenues generated from an access fee to fund the station, equating to about $300,000 to $350,000 a year.
"The access fees are collected by the carriers and turned over to the town," Fasciano said. "In the past four years, the town has spent less money than the fees that were taken in."
Franklin TV purchased the 3,500-square-foot building at 23 Hutchinson St. for $400,000. It's a significant expansion for the company, as its Main Street studio is a mere 620 square feet.
"It will give us a major studio," said Ken Norman, president of Franklin TV. "We are struggling with limited space. There is no room for anything."
On Monday night, Franklin TV met with the Planning Board for approval of its site plans. Next, Norman and Fasciano go before the Conservation Committee and Design Review Board.
They hope to be able to move into the new studio sometime in February and then spend about a year renovating it.
Afterwards, they want to look into upgrading their equipment, because a strong public access station, Norman said, "is a source to help bring the community together, whether it's through school plays, or musical events, the meetings we cover, it just gives the town an opportunity to know what's going on."
Matt Tota can be reached at 508-634-7521 or mtota@wickedlocal.com.