HADLEY — A continued decline in the number of households connected to Charter Spectrum cable is a major factor in a push by Hadley Media’s director to get both residents and others interested in public meetings and town events to subscribe to its YouTube channel.

As Hadley Media closes in on 1,000 subscribers on YouTube, Alex LaMarche, the director, said he would like to see more people subscribe through their Google accounts, which allows people to be notified by email or text when live meetings are being streamed or videos are uploaded.

In continuing to cover more than 15 municipal boards and committees, with live broadcasts of Select Board, Planning Board, School Committee and Finance Committee meetings and school events and athletics, LaMarche said the challenge for the public access channel is losing cable subscribers, even as YouTube has seen growth.

“Mainly, the reason for trying to get to 1,000 is about growing our online presence and staying relevant and connected to our community,” LaMarche said.

Reaching 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours can mean taking part in the YouTube Partner program and potential financial benefits, though LaMarche said doing this would carry financial risks for the town.

The loss of cable subscribers, and so-called cord cutting, is evident. In 2014, there were 1,627 subscribers, which dropped to 1,375 five years later, in 2019, and declined again to 1,037 in 2024, with the numbers likely be under 1,000 this year. Whereas almost three quarters of the town’s 2,256 dwellings were hooked up to cable, now under half are.

When LaMarche began tracking YouTube subscribers in 2018, there were 80 in Hadley, which has gone up tenfold, to 812, in 2024. LaMarche said while not certain, he expects sometime this year the YouTube subscribers will surpass cable subscribers for the first time.

— SCOTT MERZBACH