001This is a public hearing on Verizon's cable license renewal and it is up for the purpose of allowing the public an opportunity to comment on town and public cable needs. Verizon's current license is due to expire on July 11th, 2028. The federal and state law requires holding public proceedings and ascertain local cable needs as part of the renewal process. Notice was posted in the local newspaper on January 21st and January 28th, 2026. Copies of legal advertisements are entered into the record ascertainment exhibits one and two. We will provide interested members of the public and other interested persons the opportunity to provide input about the cable related needs. are important to Ashland and about how Horizon has performed under the existing license. Before proceeding to public comment, I would like to thank Barbara Chisum of the
002Ashland community cable programming provider, Ashland TV, and the Ver and Verizon for their participation and responsiveness in the ongoing license renewal process. In this hearing, the board will hear comments on all Verizon cable related matters, including customer service, license administration, local studio needs, community programming, PEG access, and Verizon support of local programming, local facilities, and infrastructure. Please try and keep your comments limited to 3 minutes. If members of the public or other interested persons wish to provide comments following this hearing, they can send their comments to the select board town of Ashland Mass of Sue Roby. At this time, we will proceed with welcoming public comment. Let's proceed to the public comment. >> We do have to open up the hearing. >> Motion to open the hearing on WACA's cable renewal. >> Is there a
003second? Okay. All those in favor, voice vote. I >> I thank you. That's unanimous. Okay. So, the hearing is open. >> Just one question before we go. So, we have a lot of information. We not a lot, but we have information in our >> packet. You know, a lot of letters of support. >> Um, so yeah, I I think we definitely want to limit to the three >> at least three minutes. Three minutes or or two max, you know, depending upon the number of people that want to speak. Well, I I noticed Attorney August is here and you might have some some guidance on the best way to proceed. >> Okay, >> attorney August, good evening. >> Good evening. Good to see you all. Um this is um the purpose of this hearing under the
004cable act is to allow the public in and interested persons an opportunity to be heard about um community public uh mun and municipal uh cable needs. So, it's really just all about it's it's almost like a primarily a listening session because the public has to have an opportunity to be heard. However, that can also include comments from uh select board members as issuing authority. Um so, it's a very simple uh not very technical or complicated uh type of hearing. It it does not require any decisions at this point. It's really the kind of hearing which the cable act prescribes to get the ball rolling by inviting the public to be heard first and that that that's really about it. Um during the negotiations which come later um most of the time and energy of negotiations
005has to do with continuing the uh Verizon in a Verizon renewal Verizon support for the local facilities such as the local channels, the studio, their equipment budget, their operating ing budget. So testimony pertaining to that can become relevant down the road. But um as contemplated by the statute, any cable related matter is uh fair subject matter. So that's basically my overview of this first hearing. We're required to have a hearing down the road after the negotiations of a proposed license to give the public uh an opportunity to comment on a proposed document. But we're not at that stage and the Cable Act gets us started early almost two and two and a half years prior to expiration. So that's a a federally prescribed timetable. So that's what even though the expiration date is somewhat distant
006u it the law does contemplate this early startup because in some communities it can be complicated where they're first creating a studio or locating a studio uh place. Um here we have an ongoing operation that's been very vibrant the uh the access your your community studio. So it's it's not as complicated. Hopefully it will uh continue uh or increase current levels of support. So that's really the overview that I have. >> Thank you, sir. Appreciate that. Thank you very much. [clears throat] Okay, we've opened up for public uh comment. If there's anybody here this evening that would like to speak on behalf of WACA TV and Verizon's uh um negotiated contract which is up 2028, please feel free to come to the podium and anybody that's listening uh via uh the platform uh just raise
007your hand and we'll be happy to call on you. Just unmute yourself and identify yourself and you'll have the floor. Let everybody jump up at once. >> I I can get it started. >> Yeah, if you'd like to me to. Um, >> so I know the superintendent had sent a letter and and I think he was going to his intent was to try to be here tonight, but he didn't know if he was going to be able to, but um I certainly have drafted something um in support um Barbara and [clears throat and snorts] Bill's request, but uh so I can just read it into the record. So, um, as town manager for the town of Ashland, I'm writing to express my strong support for WACA TV. It's an invaluable resource for Ashland's residents and
008an important partner in our efforts uh, to promote local government transparency and civic engagement. WACA TV serves as a primary media outlet serves as the primary media outlet for public meetings and community programming that help keep residents informed and connected. Its coverage of government meetings, town events, and other civic programming provides reliable local access to information that people need to understand and participate in the decisions that shape our community. Wacka Wacka TV's consistent local presence helps ensure that residents can follow key discussions about town services, municipal priorities, and budget matters even when they cannot attend meetings in person. This public service strengthens accountability, reinforces trust in the community, and supports an informed community as well. Thank you for your continued support of this important local resource. Uh, sincerely, Michael Herbert, town manager. >> Thank you,
009Michael. >> Anybody in vote? Sure. >> I'm surprised I'm not seeing any hands or someone >> I know >> jump up. Maybe they didn't hear. I don't know. Um >> I I I think Rob Silver is here to um to speak. Um Joe, >> yeah, he hasn't raised his hand yet. >> He can't unmute himself. >> Oh, >> there we go. >> All right, I did it. >> There you go. >> I'm not I'm not too techsavvy like you youngsters. [clears throat] >> Can Can you hear me? >> We can hear you fine. >> All right, let me see. Uh, I might even like let you see me if you want. There you go. Sporting my WACA TV shirt. Uh, um, I'll try and be brief. Um, just want to speak a little bit about
010why, you know, we should continue to support WACA and the impact that we make on the community. My name is Robert Silver. I'm a volunteer announcer and field reporter with WACA TV, primarily covering fall and winter high school sports. I volunteer because it's not always about the money. It's about doing the right thing and helping the community. My affiliation with WACA started back in 2015. My children grew up in Ashlin with their mom and stepdad. At the time, my son Jake was a freshman at Ashland High School. He wanted to become a broadcaster and WACA gave him the opportunity to get his feet wet. Announces were needed for winter and spring sports. the executive director, Barbara Chisum, brought Jake on board. Eventually, Jake would ask me to join him for a basketball broadcast. I've been
011volunteering ever since, about 11 years now. I want to speak about again why uh WACA makes such a big impact on Ashlin community and beyond. I'll start with a personal note. My son Jake, the announcer, was diagnosed with cancer towards the end of his sophomore year of high school. During his junior and senior years while undergoing treatments and surgeries, he continued to work for WACA. I truly believe this was a major part of his motivation to pursue his passion, graduate from high school, and in the fall of 2018 enrolled in the communications program at Springfield College. Fortunately, after a few weeks, his health took a turn for the worse, and he'd ultimately lose his battle with cancer in February of 2019, seven years ago. this month. I mention it because I know how important it
012was for Jake to accomplish these goals of graduating high school and getting into college. And I believe because of the opportunity provided by WACA and Barbara Chisum, he was able to pursue his dream. That's WACA making an impact. And to honor my son's legacy, I continue to volunteer and and do the announcing. Last season, the girls basketball team hired a new coach, Patrick Leslie. Coach Leslie relocated from Minnesota. Pat was thrilled when he learned that WACA offered live stream broadcasts. Over the years, he had forged many relationships with former players and colleagues who were excited to tune in to watch his new team. I often refer to the viewers there's pals. One of the biggest fans was his dad. And coach Leslie made it a point to thank the crew time and time again and
013tell us how much his dad enjoyed watching the games from his home down in Texas. His dead dad never missed a broadcast. Unfortunately, Coach Leslie's dad passed away over the summer. Another victim of cancer. When I [snorts] finally saw coach at the start of the season, he made it a point to again say how thankful he was for the joy we brought to his dad. That was WACA making an impact. uh talk about a couple of real uplifting experiences. Not every viewer of WACA passes away from cancer. I promise you that. Um I've also made some many meaningful personal connections with the various crew members over the years. Paul Bowden, Jeff Paul, Connor Donovan, my announcing partners, Brian Siet, the legendary Bob Docker, Josh Abrams, and his son Chase Abrams. I mentioned Chase because he's
014a great story success story in the making. He volunteered with us, announcing with us during all four years of high school, graduating in 2024. Case is now a sophomore at the University of Rhode Island, enrolled in communications and broadcasting major where he covers soccer and basketball for Urri on one of the ESPN affiliates. I'm sure this is just the beginning of a very successful broadcasting career for Chase and another example of WACA making an impact. And in keeping with the family theme, the last thing I've also had the pleasure of announcing basketball games with my daughter, Halley. She's a 2020 graduate of Ashlin High School and continues to be part of the WACA family with a production expertise of Paul Bowden. Hi helps to bring town manager Michael Herbert's weekly newsletter to life in a
015concise, fun, friendly video format. I'm just one person whose life has been greatly enriched by the small local community TV station WACA. But I want to point out that what this small local community TV station does has a huge ripple effect throughout the Ashland community and far beyond. And the ripple effect grows year after year, near and far, ultimately impacting the lives of thousands upon thousands and I might even venture to say tens of thousands of people. So I hope when it comes time to decide on the funding budget from Verizon that you not look strictly at how it affects your profit and loss because it's not always about the money. Sometimes it's about doing the right thing. So, I trust you'll do that. Thank you for your time and as always, good night and
016go clockers. Thank you. [laughter] >> Thank you, Rob. Thank you very much. Appreciate that. >> You're welcome. I I know Yolanda, did you want to uh speak? >> Yeah, if I could. First of all, I've had the opportunity to work with uh >> Rob. I had the opportunity to do a few things with Jake and I just want to, you know, second what Michael has said and what what um Rob has said that WACA really has added to our community in the programming that they offer. But I also think since co how they've been our partner in making sure that the community has access. I mean, I think about this this right now where people are being able to sit at home and and it's [snorts] not just watch from TV, but they help us
017with our Zoom connections and they help us make sure that we get the information out to our residents. So, I think we need to make sure, you know, we go forward and and do what we can to to keep this license going. [snorts] um and also look at if there are other ways we can support the station um as they look at their needs for space capital and potentially if there's other things they need to do. So I just want to offer my support as well. >> Thank you Makita. [snorts] >> Uh yeah thank you Mr. Chair. Um I just wanted to chime in. Uh you know uh WACA is not just a nice resource to have. It's a vital community resource for all the reasons that everyone stated, but also um you know without
018WACA I I I completely believe that our community would not be able to remain informed. It is so vital especially in this time when we see lack of local news coverage in major newspapers. Everything's drying up. you know, when we have a community resource like WACA that can get vital information out to the public, allow um a certain amount of uh interactivity uh and allow people to participate as well as uh making sure that young people get some vocational training and communications as well. Um, I I see this as not a nice to have, but a vital to have. And I wanted to uh speak on those supporting WACA and everything that they do here for Ashland. >> Thanks. >> Thank you, Makita. >> Audia, >> I'm up. >> You're up. >> Yeah. First, uh,
019Mr. Silver, I just want to say I remember Jake, too. And, uh, I just want you to know a lot of people remember him. And I on my computer, I have a little video. We made videos, uh, at one point for him to send to him. and uh every now and then I come across it for whatever reason but um anyways we remember him. Um, so I just was really going to say a little bit of what Makita said in that um, I remember many years ago being on the school committee and when we met there was a newspaper reporter in the room every single time and the next day there was an article in the newspaper and you know that's been long gone and so it's just such a critical way of informing our
020community and um, I won't repeat what Makita said so eloquent eloquently but uh, it is so important for informing our community. So, uh 100% my support and I do know several students too who have have gone through uh the little whacker training and ended up in uh following it as a career path. So, thank you. >> Are you ready? >> Uh sure. I know that pretty much my colleagues have have covered a lot of this, but um I did want to just say that, you know, I mean, we've been postco for a little while, but it hasn't been that long since since co and just to add that WACA was literally our lifeline during CO. um we had, you know, whether it was videoing of the sports, whether it was um our town government, which
021was always in uh conversations about what was happening during co um it literally was our lifeline to the residents of Ashland while while we were trying to make the best of a of a really crazy situation. Um, and so, you know, when what really strikes me is when Rob was talking about just the community connection and when you think about Ashland and you think about all we do in Ashland, it's like WACA kind of weaves itself through every single part of our community and brings us together. And so I'm really thankful for the work that they do for for for Barbara, for Paul, for the whole Wacka crew um and all the the volunteers that that give their time. It's it's a tremendous resource for the community and um I don't know how we could
022do our job without you. So um so thank you. I held I held my comments for for the last um the reason why I have done that is because WACA and I go back over 40 years. We started out at U Elliot Street going down a long corridor to get to a one room studio off of 390 Elliot Street and then from there the show started. So Ashan and WACA, like Brandy said, has weaved into our into our community in more ways than one. The different program programmings that have been offered, the uh the constant upkeep with all the new shows or the different shows that have been provided over the years. Um I know some have been award-winning. I won't say that, you know, some of us were recipients of some of those awards
023over the years and uh it wasn't the fact that Barbara and Paul uh were the mainstay of all that all that work and hard effort and the many other volunteers that were involved. Uh it was a very difficult time um to put on a show if when you have a co-host that was a microphone hug. And I won't say anything bad about Dave Iusi, but [laughter] uh but David loved the microphone and you know there would be constant battles getting that mic back and forth from one another so we could at least get our points across. And we had a great show. Uh it was a police and fire show and um you know those those were the beginnings and I know Barbara you uh you brought up some great things all the different programs
024that you provided us all the live streaming from all the different holiday festivals that we had Ashland Day um Connor spot some of the programs that have been initiated over the years thanks to you folks people who weren't able to get to see it live were able to watch it later on in the Okay. All the different meetings that you can't go to every meeting, but you can take a Saturday morning and sit back with a cup of coffee and listen to what's been going on uh throughout the week. And it's all because you folks made that happen. And Verizon, you folks I wasn't sure who said I think it was I think it was Mr. Silva that said something very very appropriate. You know, the bottom line is one thing, but your outreach is
025far greater than your bottom line and touching all these different people that that are affected by WACA and those who appreciate the work that you all do and look forward to it every every day uh to see the different things that have been going on and get updated on on a a daily or even weekly basis. I would I strongly support it. I always have. I always will. And um you know we have different other other programs when we do uh when it comes to elections you have open open mic night and uh citizens participation there and asking questions and Makita I've sat with you on different times and with your with your uh your shows that you've had podcast like Michael had on on different ones. We were we were the first ones to
026start that and it was it was it went off very well. So you say weaved into our culture. Damn right. And then some. Without a doubt. Without a doubt. Strongly support it. And I hope Horizon does the right thing and uh provides additional funding for you folks. Absolutely. Appreciate it. You're awful quiet up there, Barbara. [laughter] >> Wow. I I just want to thank the select board in Michael and Jim Adams and Deputy Chief Moahan, Rob Silva and Joe White for their letters and words of support. We are proud to serve the town of Ashland as your community media center and we look forward to many many more years of our partnership with town government, the schools and to the residents of Ashland. Um, I can't thank you um enough. Thank you so much. >>
027Thank you for all the work that you and your your staff has done over the years. You've done a yman's job. >> Thank you, Joe. >> It's always appreciated. Always appreciated for sure. Okay. Is there anybody else that would like to speak on WA WACA's behalf? No, we're good. If can I add uh two absolutely brief comments. >> One in the spirit of these comments I do want to thank >> um you know profoundly thank uh Michael Herbert and Sue Roby. They could not be more responsive. There a lot of twists and turns in a renewal process. you know, it's a long contract and in addition to all the local facilities language, uh, you know, there insurance, rightway management, record, they're just totally committed to being responsive and Barbara Chisum has done the same. We
028have to provide budgets and itemize data to Verizon when we negotiate for the funds. And at every turn, she always comes through with her team Paul and others very high quality, careful, credible uh uh operating capital budgets, narrative support. So the town uh is is really uh you know a big player in this. And I also want to mention uh you know we did the uh renewal with Verizon not that long ago. They only do five-year licenses unlike Comcast. They it's not an Ashland thing. They don't go over. So we we you know we did a renewal with them. They came to the table recognizing that the access uh studio is very important. They they really did and they recognized that and they you know they from the get-go they were willing to just try
029to find you know a reasonable and strong uh way to support it that Verizon would allow. I hope the co the corporation continues in in that spirit this time around. They have other renewal. They have been similar. There's a lot of changes going on in the industry. But the you know the local folks that they send out into the trenches are are committed to be being good negotiation partners. So I want to just mention that in fairness to them too. Um, one other thing for the benefit of the public. Uh, even though the hearing closes, the cable act says that apart from the hearing, we can have an ascert a needs ascertainment record open uh on an ongoing basis outside of the hearing. It's a very interesting statute the cable act um you know it
030really provides for different mechanisms for public input like that. So, if you can't make it to tonight's hearing, the law does contemplate that uh uh the issuing authority, you know, through its uh town administrator keep the record open for other data that we can receive as long as we make it public and share it uh with the with the lency. So, there are further opportunities and uh that's about it. >> Thank you, Bill. Appreciate that. Thank you very much. Um I guess it come down to discussion amongst us right now. >> Do we close? >> Yeah. Will we go ahead and close this part of the hearing right the ascertainment? >> Yes. Right. Okay. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Motion to close the hearing >> there. Second. Second. >> Okay. All those in favor? >> I.
031That's 5. So [clears throat] this meeting uh the hearing has been closed. Any further discussion on this? No. >> So we're just going to take a vote of support. I would assume at this stage >> I don't think we even need to do that. >> We don't need to do that. We already made a point. >> I think we need to look at, you know, further down the road as we get more information on the >> on the license and funding and stuff is where we'll look at it. I don't think we need to Yeah. >> Okay. All right. Very good. All right. Thank you. Thank you everybody who uh spoke on behalf of WACA. I appreciate it everybody. Good luck. And uh I know Mr. Silva. Go Pats. >> [laughter] >> Thank you all.
032Thank you very much everyone. >> Those were great comments. Thank you. >> Thanks.