Pittsfield Cable Advisory Committee Seeking Input

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield's Cable Advisory Committee is conducting an online survey to gain insight into the needs of the Pittsfield community with regards to the Charter Spectrum Cable Television License.
 
The cable company's license with the city expires on September 30, 2024. The committee seeks to gather input and information from a wide variety of residents to gauge their experiences and reactions to the level of service provided by Charter Spectrum, and the impact of Public, Education, and Government ("PEG") access provided by Pittsfield Community Television.
 
Input gathered from the survey will be crucial to guide the Cable Advisory Committee in its ascertainment process, to renegotiate a ten-year license with the cable company.
 
The survey, which takes about five minutes to complete, will stay open and accept responses until April 26, 2024. The survey is available here: http://bit.ly/4bDtXiA
 
Pittsfield Community Television (PCTV) recently provided a presentation to the Cable Advisory Committee with a ten-year report and capital projects projection.
 
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Ex-Miss Hall's Teacher Indicted on Rape Charges

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A former Miss Hall's School teacher accused of sexually assaulting students at the girls' school has been indicted by a Berkshire grand jury.
 
Matthew Rutledge, 63, was indicted on Tuesday on three counts of rape following testimony provided by Melissa Fares and Hilary Simon, former students.
 
Pittsfield Police opened an investigation into Rutledge in 2024. Rutledge was alleged to have sexually assaulted students while serving as a teacher at Miss Hall's School dating back to the 1990s. In October 2024, the Berkshire District Attorney's Office announced that there were no charges able to be brought forward at that time; however, the office kept the investigation open. 
 
In late fall 2024, Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue took over the investigation, then tasked a team of special prosecutors and the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit, including resources from the Unresolved Cases Unit, to continue investigating the allegations.
 
In 2025, a summary of a report authored by Aleta Law Firm was released to the public. The report, which was commissioned by the Miss Hall's Board of Trustees, consisted of numerous interviews examining the school's culture. The report detailed a pervasive and chronic pattern of inappropriate staff conduct.
 
Using information gathered by both the DA's Office and the Aleta report, the team of special prosecutors say they found Rutledge to have violated state law. 
 
"It took a long time to get to Tuesday's indictment. I commend the prosecutors and detectives who worked tirelessly to bring this case forward," said Shugrue in a statement. "Most of all, I would like to recognize and commend Melissa Fares and Hilary Simon for their bravery and continued cooperation throughout this long, arduous process. 
 
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