On February 5, 2020 H. 4045 was sent for further study by the Joint Committee on Telecommunications Utilities & Energy. MassAccess is currently considering options for the future of the legislation.
Funding for community media is being threatened both nationally and locally. If passed,
H. 4045 would help to fund not only local media stations, but also will help pay for municipal services and programs we have all come to rely on.
Although several other states have passed similar legislation already, H. 4045 would be the first to specifically name Community Media as a beneficiary.
H. 4045 is not an end-user tax. The bill seeks to ask companies who sell their products over public lands to give back to the people who live there.
Currently, cable companies pay a fee to utilize these same public lands – public rights of way – while digital streaming providers do not.
Watch as Melinda Garfield & David Gauthier discuss the bill with Chris Lovett on Boston Neighborhood Network News.
