Edgecomb's budget committee was ready to recommend the town give Lincoln County Television (LCTV) $1,800, like last year.

The public access station is asking for $2,339. Discussing the request April 1, committee members saw no benefit to an increase.

Then, Board of Selectmen Chairman Jessica Chubbuck questioned whether the town should be giving the station any money. Committee members wondered the same thing.

The committee went on to recommend the town give the station nothing.

For people who don't have Time-Warner Cable, the only way to watch LCTV programs is online, where anyone can see them, participants said. No one said they watch the station.

If residents go with zero-funding at town meeting on May 11, they would be risking their free access to production classes, and free access to the facilities and equipment to produce programming, Station Manager Mary Elllen Crowley said April 2.

Many people think of public access to viewing, but public access television is really about access to producing programs and having a place for them to air, Crowley said.

Time-Warner subscribers in Wiscasset, Edgecomb, Westport Island, Dresden, Alna, Nobleboro, Waldoboro, Damariscotta, Newcastle and Bristol get LCTV, Crowley said. All the towns except Dresden and Westport Island have been supporting the station. Until now, the station's board has allowed the other two towns free access to classes and the other services, she said.

However, months from now, the board will be reviewing its funding formula, Crowley said. The board may decide to start charging residents of non-contributing towns if they want to use the station's services, she said.

Two Edgecomb residents currently produce programs, in addition to the Edgecomb Congregational Church, which records its Sunday church service to air later, Crowley said.

If Edgecomb winds up with no local programming, Crowley said, “It would be a real shame.”

Various Edgecomb and area nonprofits promote their organizations and events on the station's bulletin board. That service that would also be at risk for non-contributing towns this year, Crowley said.

Budget outlook

If voters go along with all of the budget committee's recommendations for the town this year, and if a number of other factors go as projected, the budget would be 4.43 percent higher than last year's,  Committee Chairman Nort Fowler said.

The other projections that figure depends on are: no revenue sharing coming from the state; towns taking on part of the cost of teachers' retirements; no loss in funds from excise taxes or the homestead exemption; the town tapping its surplus for $135,000; and the county tax coming in at an increase of just a couple hundred dollars, according to an early figure the committee received.

Susan Johns can be reached at 207-844-4633 or sjohns@wiscassetnewspaper.com.