Ashland Select Board Opens Verizon Cable License Renewal With Unanimous Support for WACA TV

ASHLAND — February 4, 2026 — Ashland Select Board unanimously opens and closes a cable license renewal ascertainment hearing, building the public record for future Verizon negotiations. The hearing, required by federal cable law roughly two and a half years before Verizon's current license expires on July 11, 2028, drew testimony from Town Manager Michael Herbert, who called WACA TV "an invaluable resource" and "important partner" in civic engagement, and from volunteer announcer Robert Silver, who described the station's impact on his family across more than a decade of involvement. All five Select Board members spoke in support of WACA, with member Makeda Tekeste declaring it "not a nice to have, but a vital to have," and Chair Joe White noting a personal connection to the station stretching back more than 40 years. Town cable counsel Bill August noted that the needs ascertainment record remains open for additional written public comment through Town Hall and that formal license negotiations with Verizon — focused on the company's financial support for the WACA studio's equipment and operating budgets — are the next phase of the process.