LtE: Community Voices Matter: Support RCTV
Dear Editor,
The Reading School Committee has issued a statement supporting RCTV's valuable and historical service to our children and youth, cites concerns about disruptions if the contract is not renewed while mentioning wanting to "stay out of the fray" during contract discussions between the Town and RCTV Board of Directors. I would like to encourage Reading residents to get into the fray not out of it when it comes to renewing the Town's contract with RCTV. Despite an overwhelming turn out and vocal support from Reading residents for the renewal of RCTV contract, the Select Board at their 6/10/25 meeting gave thinly disguised reasons for wanting to terminate the Town's long standing and successful relationship with RCTV. I am hard pressed to find any complaints regarding RCTV from the Select Board until that meeting. The Chair cited privacy concerns, yet he films and posts unsuspecting residents on his media site. Go figure. The majority of the Select Board threats the independence of the RCTV Board of Directors with their demands for management change. To my knowledge none of the Select Board has a membership in RCTV yet they want to exercise control over content and management. Go figure.
When elect officials overstep, they should be called out on it. When the Select Board attempts to manipulate an independent news outlet and beloved community media platform for perhaps personal reasons, they should be called out on it. RCTV stands for Reading COMMUNITY TV, not Reading Select Board TV.
The Select Board has given RCTV only a three month extension of their contract, the three summer months, when most residents are not as tuned in to Town business. If you have ever watched on RCTV a Pop Warner game, an exercise program, a Town music program, any filmed Town Board or Committee meeting including Town meeting, or had your children benefit from any of the RCTV summer camps or educational classes please let Select Board member Melissa Murphy and Town Manager, Matt Kraunelis know that you want them to renew the RCTV contract and keep it as Community TV serving the residents and not the Select Board.
Melissa Murphy can be reached at melissamurphy@readingma.gov
Matt Kraunelis can be reached at mkraunelis@ci.reading.ma.us
Or leave a message at Town Hall at 781-942-9043.
Nancy Docktor
Precinct One Town Meeting member
RCTV member
This LtE was edited from the original to include links to the June 10, 2025, Select Board meeting discussion regarding RCTV, the July 10, 2025, School Committee packet with the Letter to the Select Board (page 170), and the July 10, 2025, School Committee meeting discussion regarding the Letter to the Select Board.