BUILDING A NEW TV STATION
Public Access TV is for the community. It is something that Winchester, Stoneham, Woburn, Malden, Somerville, Arlington, Burlington, Boston and many other communities have. If this city had a true public access station this past election season there would have been microphones on the candidates for city council and for mayor. Medford citizens had to go to the educational channel for politics, and that is not what the channel is for.
The responsibility for this outrageous denial of the public's right to free speech, protected by the First Amendment, falls squarely on the shoulders of Michael J. McGlynn, the sole "issuing authority" under our form of government. City Solicitor Mark E. Rumley promised us that the city wouldn't "squelch" free speech, and he made that promise in front of retired justice Marie O. Jackson-Thompson on November 15, 2008, exactly 5 years ago this week.
The Mayor received at least one offer (from me) and probably offers from people I have spoken with that we could have utilized channel 3 this past election season, even though the corporation that operated it dissolved on September 30. We could have had free expression on Channel 3 from October 1 right up to November 5, but it was a threat to McGlynn as his control of the media is air-tight and difficult to penetrate.
13-738-Offered by Councillor Penta
Be It Resolved that the Mayor as issuing authority by contract return all cable TV subscribers’ money (± $120,000) that he has held in escrow because of public access cable TV-3's failure to broadcast and offer community public access programming since January of 2013. This monthly fee taken from all Comcast and Verizon customers rightfully belongs to all cable TV subscribers who paid for a service they never received.
There are those of us - veterans of access TV - who can put a new situation together. This is NOT what Mike McGlynn wants as he has an obsession with controlling the media. He also uses some of the access monies for three salaries at the high school, and sixty percent of the monies - because of some antiquated home rule petition - for the "general fund." That leaves only 20 percent of the funds for the citizens paying the freight, and we were denied the opportunity to say what we want to say this past election cycle. No discussion of crosswalks, potholes, empty storefronts, public safety. No free speech that the City Solicitor Mark E. Rumley promised us the city would not stand in the way of.
Well, the city did stand in the way of it.
This one is on McGlynn. We pay for a service and the Mayor used over Fifteen Thousand Dollars of taxpayer funds, not ratepayer funds, not subscriber fees, but taxpayer funds for an audit and the judge's evaluation. To not use the information the mayor asked for - and received - was irresponsible. The citizens deserve to hear from the city leader how their money was spent. This discussion has now turned to the mayor's lack of leadership on how monies are obtained and spent.
Citizens can file a complaint with Comcast and with Verizon. That's the place to start. A Class Action suit against the city, if the right lawyers are found who can handle a case of such magnitude, may be the only solution to a very bad situation.
Please visit the City Council on Tuesday night, 7 PM, and demand the mayor of this community speak to all residents about his plans for the future of access tv.