Mar 152026

Charter-Cox Mega-Merger: What 38 Million Subscribers Under One Roof Means for Your Franchise Agreement

The FCC approved Charter Communications’ $34.5 billion acquisition of Cox Communications on February 27, 2026. The combined entity will serve approximately 38 million subscribers, making it the largest cable and broadband provider in the country. The deal is expected to close by mid-2026. If your PEG station operates in a Charter or Cox franchise territory, this cable franchise transfer directly … Read More

Mar 142026

Access Humboldt Won 6 WAVE Awards. Their Website Can’t Tell You That.

A Small Station, A Big Win At the February 2026 ACM West Conference, Access Humboldt walked away with 6 WAVE Awards. They won across six categories: Educational Access, Community Issues, Underserved Voices, Community Event, News/Documentary/Magazine, and Government Access. Access Humboldt operates in DMA #196 out of 210 TV markets. They serve 59,670 TV households across 5,282 square miles of rural … Read More

Mar 122026

Cord Cutting 2.0: Why PEG Stations Are Underestimating the Speed of the Funding Collapse

The Threat You’re Already Tracking Most PEG station managers know the first number: U.S. cable TV subscriptions dropped from 96 million in 2017 to roughly 68 million in 2024. Franchise fee revenue followed. Stations like Nashua Community Television saw revenue fall from $483,000 to $383,000 over seven years, a 21% decline. Portsmouth Public Media TV dropped from roughly $130,000 to … Read More

Mar 72026

The April 24 Deadline PEG Stations Don’t Know Applies to Them: ADA Title II Web Accessibility

On April 24, 2026, the DOJ’s ADA Title II rule takes effect for all public entities serving populations over 50,000. Every government website must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards. Penalties reach $150,000 per violation. That is 48 days from today (as of March 7, 2026). This deadline has received limited attention in the PEG community. It likely applies … Read More

Jan 152026

The Trust Mandate: Why PEG Station Security is Civic Infrastructure

TL;DR While 100% of analyzed PEG stations have HTTPS enabled, deeper security layers are universally absent. Zero stations implement HSTS, CSP, or X-Frame-Options headers. One in four (25.4%) serve mixed HTTP/HTTPS content. And 8.8% display browser security warnings due to invalid SSL certificates. This isn’t about checking compliance boxes. When residents visit your site for emergency information and see … Read More

Jan 152026

The Budget Defense Playbook: Why Declining Franchise Fees Demand a Digital Strategy for PEG Stations

TL;DR Cable franchise fees have declined 20% or more at stations nationwide as cord-cutting accelerates. U.S. cable subscriptions dropped from 96 million to 68 million between 2017 and 2024, and the trend continues. PEG stations must pivot to a data-driven “Budget Defense” strategy. This brief outlines six pressures facing community media and three ways to turn digital infrastructure into … Read More

Jan 152026

The Invisible Town Square: Why PEG Stations Are Losing the Battle for Local Search

TL;DR Blue Astral audited 410 PEG stations and found universal infrastructure failures: 100% lack server compression and caching. Over half are missing the SEO fundamentals Google needs to surface their content. This report reveals the four structural barriers keeping your station out of search results and the path forward to reclaim your place in the digital town square. Blue Astral’s 2025 audit of … Read More

Jan 152026

New Study: The Digital Infrastructure Gap Facing 410 PEG Stations

PEG stations are doing the work. Two-thirds maintain video archives. 91.2% have valid SSL certificates. They’re producing civic content every day. But their communities can’t find it. Blue Astral analyzed 410 community television or broadcast stations with active websites nationwide. The findings reveal why: a combination of technical gaps that, together, bury civic content where residents will never see it. … Read More

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