A Critical Moment for Westford’s Community Voice

WestfordCAT is growing to meet Westford’s needs—and we’d love to share where we’re headed

Our recent strategic planning revealed something wonderful: our community wants more of what we do. More in-depth local news, expanded educational opportunities, and stronger connections among neighbors. Rather than pulling back as traditional cable revenues decline, we’re choosing to lean in and build something even better together.

What We’re Creating

We’ve welcomed a professional news editor to help us deliver the quality journalism Westford deserves—more accurate, more thorough, and more timely. We’ve also brought on a youth and community education director to expand the classes, workshops, and creative learning experiences we can offer. And we’re working to grow our advertising partnerships to help sustain these efforts.

These positions represent our commitment to Westford’s future. We’re excited about what they’ll make possible, and we hope you’ll join us in making them permanent.

A Little Context

The media landscape has shifted dramatically. In 2015, Comcast and Verizon served 7,690 Westford cable subscribers. Today, that number has dropped below 4,200—only 54% remain. Since cable franchise fees fund much of our work, this change has been significant.

In 2017, we received $500,866 from franchise agreements. This year, we’re budgeting for $355,000. That leaves us working to bridge a $145,000 gap.

What This Means for Our Community

Local journalism takes real resources—people, time, and equipment to cover town meetings, investigate important issues, fact-check stories, and document the moments that make Westford special. We want to keep bringing you comprehensive coverage, but we need sustainable support to do it well.

We’d love to hear your thoughts: What does having a local news source mean to you? Does it help you feel more connected to what’s happening in town? Is it easier than piecing together information from social media? What would change if this coverage wasn’t available?

Looking Ahead Together

Here’s what we’re wondering: What would sustainable local news look like for our community?

Our annual budget is around $500,000. If 2,500 households contributed $200 each year, we could maintain everything we do now and keep growing. Or imagine if we had 5,000 digital subscribers at $99 annually—that’s about 43% of Westford’s 11,000 households. To put that in perspective, over 70% of households used to pay for cable TV.

Of course, advertising support will help reduce what we need from subscriptions. But advertisers need audiences too—they want to know their message is reaching Westford residents.

We’d Love Your Input

Our Board has given us their support to pursue long-term sustainability, and we’re grateful for that confidence. We’d rather plan proactively than scramble to react when challenges arise.

We may need to introduce a digital subscription option in 2026. Community support could help us delay that decision—or possibly avoid it altogether. But before we move forward, we genuinely want to understand what works for you.

A few questions we’re thinking about

– Would you consider supporting WestfordCAT with a donation to keep access open for everyone?

– Would a digital subscription at $99 per year feel reasonable to you?

– Do you know businesses that might want to connect with Westford residents through advertising or sponsorship?

This really is your news organization. We exist to serve our community, to share your stories, and to keep everyone informed about what matters here in Westford. We’d appreciate hearing your perspective on how we can keep doing that sustainably.

Please share your thoughts, questions, or ideas with Executive Director Sarah Fletcher at sfletcher@westfordcat.org. What you tell us will help shape the path forward. You can now add comments to the news posts. Please feel free to join the conversation. 

We’re optimistic about what we can build together.