DarienTV Survey Results Released

DARIEN, CT —DarienTV, the town’s government and community television station, has released results from a recent viewer survey showing most respondents regularly tune in for meeting coverage and local programming.

According to the survey, 86 percent of respondents identified themselves as regular viewers, typically watching in the evenings or on weekends.

Among the reasons cited for watching, 70 percent said it was to "stay informed," while 57 percent said they were following a particular issue and 20 percent described viewing as their "civic duty to stay involved."

"As we suspected, our viewers are very engaged with our programming," said DarienTV Program Director and co-founder Jim Cameron in a news release. "More importantly, they watch because our meeting coverage allows them to stay connected with Town government, which has always been our goal."

The survey found that 54 percent of viewers watch on computers, 40 percent on home televisions and 30 percent on smartphones. When asked where they watch, 45 percent cited the DarienTV website, 35 percent YouTube and 34 percent cable television.

Respondents were also asked about the station’s use of AI-generated meeting summaries. The survey showed 44 percent said they found the summaries "very helpful," while 7 percent said they were confusing or inaccurate.

First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky praised the station’s role in local government access.

"I’m genuinely grateful for the public service DarienTV provides. By making Town meetings and community programming easy to access, it strengthens transparency, keeps people informed, and encourages meaningful civic engagement. DarienTV helps ensure that more residents can follow the issues that matter to them and participate in local government in an informed way. I think DarienTV has the best programming of any municipal TV station," Zagrodzky said.

DarienTV is approaching its 20th anniversary serving the community. The station is available on Optimum cable, YouTube and through its on-demand website. Operations are funded by the town along with grants from cable subscribers provided through the Area Nine Cable Council.

The station is overseen by the DarienTV Advisory Board, which is appointed by the Board of Selectmen.

Residents can subscribe to DarienTV’s weekly program guide and newsletter through the station’s website.