Westwood Media Center: Time To Act is Now with Consumers Cutting The Cord

By: Tom Leyden

Since the Westwood Living team began our investment in community in the winter of 2022, a top priority of mine, as owner and CEO of Ten-17 Enterprises, the parent company of Westwood Living Media, was to support and collaborate with the talented team at Westwood Media Center, the 501(c)(3) non-profit community access broadcasting organization that consistently delivers vital content to the Westwood community.

Given my extensive background in sports media and television broadcasting (32 years) and my firm belief in the power of local programming, I am passionate about the importance of meaningful, engaging and vital content provided across multiple platforms – cable television, the world wide web, and social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, among others. The Westwood Living business is funded by the more than 80 businesses who sponsor our efforts. Westwood Media Center is funded, primarily, by a percentage of your cable bill that is apportioned to its operating budget.

What’s that you say? You don’t have a cable subscription anymore? You’ve cut the cord?

Did you know for EVERY customer who “cuts the cord,” Westwood Media Center loses, on average, $7 per month – or $84 per year. While laws exist requiring cable companies, like Comcast and Verizon, to provide funding and broadcasting access to local community access organizations, there are no such laws in place for streaming services. Westwood Media Center’s budget has been slashed as a result.

Thursday morning, July 10, Melinda Garfield, Westwood Media Center’s Executive Director, provided testimony to the Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity at the Massachusetts State House in support of bills H.106, H.91 and S.41, each aimed at modernizing and significantly impacting the way in which community access broadcasters are funded.

During her powerful testimony, Garfield said, “Over the past five years, Westwood has lost 1,277 cable subscribers. In fact, our current subscriber count is now lower than it was when Comcast and Verizon first entered the town in 2007. This decline has translated into a nearly $60,000 reduction in our operating budget. As of July 1, just a few days ago, Westwood Media Center can no longer afford to maintain our studio and our office space due to this budget shortfall. We are currently without a permanent facility. Our live municipal meetings are now being produced from a 300 square-foot former jail cell in the basement of Town Hall, and our reduced staff is operating remotely. As we approach the busy fall season, I am deeply concerned about our ability to continue delivering the high quality services our community relies on and deserves. On behalf of the staff, board, and residents of Westwood, I respectfully urge this committee to report these bills favorably, and Westwood Media Center is not alone.”

In the last two years, Westwood Living has teamed with businesses including Cadillac of Norwood, ARCH Orthodontics, The Tinsley Team, Westwood Family Chiropractic and Neroli Mercato & Ristorante to craft partnerships that provide funding to Westwood Media Center while connecting these companies with the local community through sponsorship and advertising. Collectively, these companies have invested close to $40,000 to support the Westwood Media Center community programming you have grown to value, including government meetings, high school sports contests, artistic performances, town events, business spotlights, and more.

While powerful and critical, this funding is not enough. New laws and policies will hopefully restore WMC’s budget to a sustainable level, but what else can you do?

If you value the transparency of local government that comes with recorded meetings, if you value the lifetime memories that are created through broadcasts of Westwood High School sports, performances, parades and events, take action and reach out to me to learn how we can support your businesses while maintaining a critical town resource and an organization that employs three gifted, talented and valuable employees.

Can you donate? Of course. Click Here. Can we create a powerful media campaign for your company so your brand benefits in the long run? You bet. It’s our area of expertise and we’re here to work with you to connect you to the community.

Thank you for your engagement. Thank you to the companies referenced above who have invested in Westwood Media Center. Thank you to residents who now understand the financial landscape more completely. I look forward to speaking with any of you who have questions or may like to pursue a sponsorship moving forward.

Tom Leyden
CEO & Publisher, Westwood Living Media
201-913-1888