Breaking News Story
By Joe Viglione
In a letter dated July 7, 2014, City Solicitor Mark E. Rumley responded to the dissolution papers filed by Francis R. Pilleri, Jr., the “president” of embattled 501c3 non-profit Medford Community Cablevision, Inc. Rumley has given MCC TV3 and Frank Pilleri until 4:30 PM on Thursday, July 24, 2014 to turn over pertinent data, including canceled checks (both sides) and bank records or “the City of Medford will take appropriate legal action which will include but not be limited to filing an objectix>n—to the request of Medford Community Cablevision Inc. to voluntarily dissolve as a Massachusens not-for-profit corporation. “
Which begs the question: if the City objects, will MCC TV3 lose its non-profit status and will board members be held accountable for back taxes for the past 25 years or so? This is just a cable TV subscriber thinking out loud and wondering what the repercussions would be.
What is deeply troubling for cable TV subscribers who see no public access television that they pay for on Comcast and Verizon P/E/G channels is that the individuals on the board of TV3 were found by a retired judge to have been operating a “private MCC access” as far back as 2008. That Mayor Michael J. McGlynn failed to even respond to the approximately $10,000.00 taxpayer-funded audit by the respected firm of Melanson Heath & Co PC and the $3900.00 hearings and recommendations from the equally respected Judge Marie O. Jackson-Thompson (retired) indicates that despite documented problems, including the February 10, 2008 “Rumley Report” filed by the City Solicitor, Mayor McGlynn utterly failed to lead, allowing the bleeding of cable TV subscriber funds to continue.
In light of the troubles West Medford Hillside Little League president Stanley Komins and his son Stephen Komins are facing in Somerville District Court over leaving $100.00 in the non-profit account, the wording of the Solicitor’s letter appears to indicate that this situation with TV3 could be much worse and much more damaging to the citizens. Remember, TV3 co-owned the equipment with the city, the West Medford Hillside Little League had no such arrangement. Did TV3 lease equipment and where are the revenues generated if they did? Clearly they weren’t operating for the benefit of the public, which was the station’s mandate.
The recent 8 year sentencing of the Bolton Cable access head for embezzlement as well as mismanagement in Portland Oregon indicates the TV3 Medford saga is far from over. Indeed, from the rumblings around town and the July 15th City Council meeting expected to take up the topic, the story is just developing.
NOTES
Current and past employees of the Community Voice Channel told a Vernon Superior Court judge Thursday that they had to delay buying holiday gifts, taking vacations, and even having children because of financial uncertainties as their former boss was stealing nearly $380,000 in company money to fund an extravagant lifestyle. They told Judge Jorge A. Simon that the woman, Deborah Hilton, 48, formerly of Bolton, was able to steal for five years because they trusted her and considered her a friend