Cable TV group’s future uncertain

BANGOR – The potential departure of Bangor – and Brewer’s decision to withdraw – from a regional cable television consortium have left that organization’s future in question.

The potential loss of the Penobscot-Downeast Cable Television Consortium’s two largest dues payers has prompted an emergency meeting of the group’s board of directors at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 7, at the Ellsworth municipal building, according to Vice Chairman Elizabeth Schneider of Orono.

The consortium, founded in 1997, initially was formed to negotiate a cable agreement with Adelphia Communications and its predecessors. As part of that agreement, Adelphia has made three PEG – public access, education and government – channels available to consortium member communities. Renewing the cable contract doesn’t come up until 2012.

The consortium’s budget for the coming fiscal year amounts to $131,300. Bangor’s annual membership dues of $48,006 and Brewer’s $14,776 amount to nearly half that total.

The group’s 12 member municipalities each allocate 20 percent of their annual cable franchise revenues toward the consortium’s costs and reserve accounts, including the operation of a public access channel that can be seen on Adelphia’s Channel 2. The remaining 80 percent of cable money can be used as the towns see fit. The public access channel can be seen in more than 20 communities in this region.

Bangor broadcasts many of its public meetings on the local government channel, Channel 7. The content of government channels in Bangor can only be seen locally, as is the case for government access programming in other communities that have chosen to use the resource.

The consortium has a contract with J-Mac Video Productions for the public access broadcast capabilities for member towns, as well as training on how to use the equipment for individuals and nonprofit groups interested in getting involved.

Bangor officials originally planned to withdraw from the consortium to save the $48,000 annual membership fee as part of a series of budget cuts to ease the burden on property tax payers.

After hearing from several supporters of the consortium during budget deliberations Monday night, however, city councilors agreed to attempt to renegotiate lower dues or offer in-kind contributions in place of some of the funding.

Proponents’ key argument in favor of continuing to fund the consortium and its activities were that the public access channel provides area schools, parks and recreation programs, churches, social service and nonprofit groups a rare electronic voice at no cost to participating municipalities. The source of the funding was a surcharge paid to Adelphia by cable customers.

To avoid leaving the consortium in the lurch, Bangor councilors voted to pay half of next year’s dues whether or not the city decides to remain a member.

“Bangor was a real shocker to me because of the level of participation and use,” Schneider said Wednesday, noting that Brewer had been inactive in recent years.

“Bangor has ultimately not pulled out, which is a good thing,” Schneider said, adding, “People want this and they pay for it. I really am hopeful that [Bangor] will reconsider.”

Brewer’s City Council voted unanimously Monday to pull out of the consortium, a move that would save the city approximately $14,000 next year, according to Stephen Bost, city manager.

The city reaps little benefit from participating in the consortium, and interest in the public access channel is minimal, he said Tuesday.

“My sense is that it was not heavily used,” Bost said.

Bangor Daily News reporter Jackie Farwell contributed to this report.