[Late update: Here's the contract (PDF).]

The city has announced it is about to sign a new agreement with Charter Communications.

I'm grateful that there has been some consideration to support the Public (WCCA TV 13), Education, and Government channels. Without having seen the actual agreement, there's not much I can comment about at this point. (The negotiation process has been almost entirely opaque to the public, and to those of us at this station.)

After reading this morning's T&G article by Nick Kotsopoulos, it's not clear if the city's PEG channels will be able to expand, or even maintain their current services.

At this moment we can only have faith the city will do or has done the best it can do to meet the expressed needs of the community as presented during the ascertainment process. It may be too early to tell but I hope not too late.

I welcome your comments and questions here on this web site.

Mauro DePasquale, Executive Director, WCCA TV 13, "The People's Channel"

From today's paper:

The word out of City Hall is that the city has finally wrapped up its protracted negotiations with Charter Communications on a new cable television deal.

[...]

“It’s been a difficult year for cities across the country regarding their relationships with cable companies,” [Worcester's consultant] Mr. Baller said in an interview Friday. “Because cable companies are facing increasing competition from other companies, they’ve become extremely cost conscious. They’re watching every penny and they’re pulling back on capital funding they have provided in the past for public access, government channels and institutional networks."

Wormtown Taxi also comments.