Ahead Of Departure, WCTV Director Warns Of Revenue Decline

WILMINGTON, MA — In a presentation to the Board of Selectmen, Wilmington Community Television Executive Director Shaun Neville warned Monday that the station's revenues are now on a steady decline, as cord-cutting leads to lost cable franchise fees. Neville, who is leaving the station in the coming weeks, explained that while the station got tens of thousands of online bills last year, 95 percent of its funding comes from cable license agreements — and the station's subscriptions peaked in 2015. They have since declined more than 5 percent.

"We're not going away tomorrow, but we need to think about the future," Neville said. "After decades of growth, WCTV is now on pace for funding declines of tens of thousands of dollars."

There was a state bill to charge similar license fees for streaming, which could provide alternative community media funding, but it "appears to be shelved," Neville noted.

Neville also touted the station's offerings in his presentation, including "more than 500 locally-produced pieces of content," 90 live events, over 200 member productions, and 50 podcasts, in 2019.

Board Chair Greg Bendel presented Neville with a proclamation honoring him, and the town manager and other selectmen praised his work. Selectman Jomarie O'Mahony is a member of the WCTV board.

"Your station is the envy of the other stations in this area," Bendel said.

The full meeting is available, fittingly, from WCTV.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or [email protected].