Simsbury Community Media asks residents for donations as cable-subscriber revenue falls

Representatives speaking near the end of the meeting presented a brief appeal on behalf of Simsbury Community Media (SCM), saying the nonprofit’s financing depends on television subscription revenue that has fallen as viewers move to Internet-only services. Speaker 5, SCM representative, said, “For over 40 years, SCM has been the voice of our town,” and described programming that includes live broadcasts of government meetings, local education programming and community milestones.

Speaker 6, SCM representative, explained the financial challenge: “Our funding structure is based on television subscriptions, and it's no secret people have been cutting the cord,” and asked residents for donations to ensure SCM can continue to produce local programming and preserve Simsbury’s history. The representatives noted that much of SCM’s programming is available online but that subscription revenues have still declined.

They provided a call to action: visit SCM’s website or scan the QR code displayed on their screen to make a donation. The SCM presenters said donations will help the nonprofit continue to educate youth, inform the community and broadcast local events, including government meetings.

The presentation concluded with a request for community support and an offer to provide the commission with a PDF or printed materials if needed. Commissioners did not take formal action on SCM’s request during this meeting; the segment functioned as public comment and an informational appeal.