Arlington’s top elected official says there’s nothing the county government can do to prevent the demise of Arlington Independent Media (AIM).
“The law is what the law is. We cannot do too much about that,” County Board Chair Takis Karantonis said at the Sept. 13 Board meeting, responding to concerns raised during the public-comment period about the state of local media in Arlington.
Some $70,000 in unpaid taxes and rent at AIM have led County Treasurer Carla de la Pava to hire an auction firm to sell off the assets of the nonprofit that provided public-access TV and radio services for decades. The auction will begin closing on Monday, Sept. 22.
The possibility exists that AIM’s current leadership could pay off the debt. That would cause the auction to be canceled, and may provide new life to the organization.
Otherwise, the auction may mark the end of the road for an organization that, in recent years, has been mired in financial distress and internal discord. Currently, AIM’s website displays its logo but no other information.
The treasurer’s office contracted with Rasmus Auctions to undertake the sale. De la Pava said last month that AIM owed the county government $50,000 in unpaid rent and $20,000 in unpaid taxes.
De la Pava called the auction “a last resort” to recoup funds owed to the county government.
During its history, AIM provided independent producers with an outlet for audio and video work.
“It is a tragedy for Arlington,” Karantonis said of where things stand now. He praised a set of “very dedicated volunteers” for attempting to keep operations alive despite challenges.
As troubles for the organization mounted during the Covid era, the county government funneled about $2 million in support for both operating and capital expenses. But the precarious situation grew worse, not better.
In March 2024, AIM laid off its remaining paid staff. An audit conducted for the county government later that year and released in March 2025 cited a lack of financial controls, the commingling of funds and more than $400,000 in spending that could not be confirmed to be in compliance with the organization’s policies.
If the auction represents the end of the line for AIM, it would come the same month that, a year earlier, the GazetteLeader was shut down by its own parent company after failing to find a financial foothold in the community. The assets of that news organization were acquired by Local News Now, the parent of ARLnow.
In the past year, The Arlington Connection newspaper has cut its print-publication schedule in half, now appearing twice monthly — another indication of the long-term trend away from print news in the Arlington area.
Earlier this month, Shirlington-based public broadcaster WETA also cut about 5% of its staff positions and eliminated production of some local programming as it grapples with cutbacks in federal funding. The reductions had been expected ever since Congress slashed funding for public broadcasting in July.
