Home / Archive / VOL. IV NO. 25 11/01/2023 / About Community Television South Berkshire (CTSB)

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VOL. IV NO. 25 11/01/2023

About Community Television South Berkshire (CTSB)

CTSB became invaluable to transparency in local government during COVID by providing live streaming as well as posting town committee meetings. Their public and educational channels provide a variety of high-quality programming featuring local talent and public events including the upcoming Fall Festival of Shakespeare. 

Funding for CTSB and all community media centers in the state is based on a portion of cable subscriptions. Cable subscriptions are going down as subscriptions to streaming services increase. There is a need for an additional funding source for community media centers. 

The state legislature is considering legislation that would add a tax on streaming services for their use of public land. The tax would be paid to the state and a portion would be distributed to community media centers.

Rich Frederick, the executive director of CTSB, spoke at the Sept. 24 Select Board meeting and explained the need for additional funding for CTS. He asked for support from residents of the five towns that are serviced by CTSB — Stockbridge, Lenox, Lee, Great Barrington and Sheffield. 

Please write to our state legislators and ask them to support passage of House Bill 74 and Senate Bill 34: An Act to Modernize Funding for Community Media Programming. The bill has been referred to the Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity and the next step is to get it out of committee and to the governor’s desk for her approval. 

Please take some time to write or call these legislators and others to ask them to support passage of House Bill 74 and Senate Bill 34: An Act to Modernize Funding for Community Media Programming. 

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S34/Bills

Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier (Pittsfield) is the House Chair of the Joint Committee 
tricia.Farley-Bouvier@mahouse.gov (413) 442-4300

Senator Michael O. Moore (Worcester) is the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee 
michael.Moore@masenate.gov (508) 757-0323 x 1

Senator Paul Mark
paul.Mark@masenate.gov (413)-464-5635

Representative William Smitty Pignatelli
smitty.Pignatelli@mahouse.gov (413-637-0631)

Individuals and organizations can explore the benefits of membership at https://ctsbtv.org/#join

Editor’s note: Schwerner is Stockbridge representative to the Five-Town Cable Committee

Send a Letter

Rich Fredericks, Executive Director, CTSB has prepared a letter you might like to copy, sign, and send. As streaming overtakes cable, Spectrum loses subscribers. CTSB income is based on Spectrum subscriber income, therefore, as Spectrum loses money so does CTSB. CTSB is an asset to our community. Please click here to read letter and consider signing and sending.

Photo: Larry Ackerman

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