Reasons for concern -- and for hope -- for the future of Thurston Community Media | Opinion
After 36 years, local governments have decided to discontinue service contracts with Thurston Community Media (TCMedia) when they expire on Dec. 31. For TCMedia, this means a loss of more than $700,000 in annual support, 80% of our operating budget.
This is not unprecedented. Cable television franchise fees continue to decline as cable TV subscribers “cut the cord” in favor of streaming services. Municipalities face difficult decisions about how to allocate shrinking financial resources. Across the country, community media operations increasingly are facing funding challenges.
When our contracts expire, Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and Thurston County will take over management of the government access media production for which we have been responsible. They will use channels 3, 22, 26, and 77 to deliver government-produced content on the cable system. The cities have indicated no plans to support the public access and community media services we have offered for more than three decades.
We’re hopeful a channel might be allocated for content created by the public and TCMedia. However, it is unclear whether a public access channel will be available beyond Jan. 1. Without a public access channel, there is no other television source in Thurston County that distributes content created by the community about the community for the community. TCMedia has been that resource since 1986.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. There is reason to be optimistic.
We’re an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The TCMedia Board of Directors is developing a strategic plan that embraces community and fiscal resiliency in our work. We have sufficient financial resources to maintain our operations in 2024 as we generate revenue from new services, grants, and local philanthropy. We will continue our activities to benefit the greater community, recognizing that there must be changes in our services and operating structure.
In recent years, we’ve incorporated new technologies that make content more easily accessible. Last spring, we expanded our content distribution platforms to include Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. We launched an app for iPhones and Android, so the community’s content is available on mobile devices (look for Thurston Community Media in your app store). We will continue sharing community content on these platforms whether or not we operate a public access cable channel.
Digital media is a necessity in the communications plans for organizations and agencies. TCMedia is well situated to provide the tools, training, and transmission to create and share content by and for our community. That’s at the core of our mission as we revise our training and service offerings to keep pace with the communication needs of the organizations, agencies, and individuals we serve.
The need for robust local media is demonstrated daily. Content created by TCMedia staff and community members fills a gap in our local media ecosystem. We believe a healthy community is engaged and well-informed, media tools should be easily accessible, and everyone has the right to share their story authentically without editorial interference. This is the foundation upon which TCMedia is built, and it will carry us forward into uncharted waters as we navigate the changes to come.
The way forward for TCMedia may be challenging, but the possibilities are exciting. It’s doable. We are confident. People in Thurston County are generous. Community remains our middle name as we move forward — trusting the community will continue to use our services, watch our content, and support our work.
Deborah Vinsel is the CEO of TCMedia and Meagan Murphy Ross is the TCMedia Board President. For information about TCMedia, go to www.tcmedia.org.
