Lessons Learned from the Muni Broadband Failure in Woodsfield, OH

On January 6, 1986, the village of Woodsfield, OH passed Ordinance 514-86, granting a franchise to the Woodsfield Cable Co. to construct and run a television cable along the streets of the Village. The ordinance sets forth the regulations, provisions and restrictions which govern the franchise and is on file at the Municipal Building. Over time, this municipal cable TV system branched out to offer internet access services.

In October 2018, Woodsfield entered into an agreement to sell its cable TV and internet system to private ISP Massillon Cable (MCTV) for $800,000. MCTV (formerly Massillon Cable) is based in Massillon, Ohio, and offers a full suite of services, including high-speed internet, digital TV, phone, and security systems.

The sale likely reflected strategic financial decisions on the part of the village, freeing up funds from the cable system to support its municipal budget and debt service. With this acquisition, MCTV, which had already served more than 52,000 customers, continued its mission of strengthening small communities through improved internet and cable services. MCTV leaders emphasized that the companies share similar small-town values and that the acquisition honors their legacy of building early cable systems in rural America. The transition took effect June 1, 2020, with system upgrades planned to enhance internet reliability and overall service quality.

Seth Nguyen is a 3L at New York Law School.