Quorum Shortage Forces FCAT to Table $121,800 FY27 Budget Vote

WHATELY — March 19, 2026 — Frontier Community Access Television's board tabled its fiscal year 2027 budget vote after failing to reach a quorum at its March 19 meeting. The proposed budget totals approximately $121,805, built on an $80,000 payroll estimate — well below the theoretical $136,000 ceiling under a work-for-hire staffing model — plus $45,996 in operating expenses covering items ranging from Adobe subscriptions at $3,801.84 to dual Comcast internet service at $8,555.88. The board, which now includes four newly appointed select board members from Conway, Deerfield, Sunderland, and Whately, will reconvene May 14 to vote. The meeting's most consequential financial discussion concerned a looming Teleview server replacement, estimated at $50,000 to $100,000, required under existing franchise contracts to enable HD channel delivery; the general manager said he is reluctant to draw on the station's roughly $250,000 in reserves and is instead exploring corporate sponsorships from regional employers including Deerfield Academy, Yankee Candle, and Treehouse Brewery.