New Sturgeon WTBR Show Shelved Amidst Complaints

By Joe DurwinPittsfield Correspondent
04:40PM / Tuesday, May 29, 2012Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The debut of a recently announced new WTBR talk show featuring popular local radio host William Sturgeon has been postponed indefinitely.

The show, slated to begin Tuesday, May 29, would have from run 8:30 to 10 a.m. to follow established local morning show "Good Morning, Pittsfield" on the Taconic High School station.

The show had been given approval by the program director as well as Superintendent of Schools Howard "Jake" Eberwein, but a last-minute decision to hold off on its launch was announced over the weekend.

"The debut of the Bill Sturgeon show on WTBR has been put on hold. Possibly for good," said station manager Larry Kratka, in a post in WTBR's Facebook group. "There are apparently some officials in Pittsfield government who are terrified of what Bill would do to them."

"Bill and I know what kind of show he was going into," said Kratka. "Even Superintendent "Jake" Eberwein and School Committee Chair Alf Barbarlunga agreed with my vision of the kind of show it would be. No phones ... interviews only. For this, I thank them."

Sturgeon had offered to provide an interview show for WTBR, following his departure from his popular program on WBRK radio, which ended in early May following what the host described as a breakdown in negotiations.

Speaking on WTBR's "Good Morning, Pittsfield" on Tuesday morning, Sturgeon said he was told there had been comments from several parties concerned about the show, including Taconic Principal John Vosburgh. The exact nature of these concerns has not been made known, though Sturgeon suggested that some individuals objected to the idea of the student-run show being overshadowed by adult radio talent.

"Bringing more people into a studio isn't going to decrease the opportunities for kids," said "Good Morning, Pittsfield" host and Ward 6 City Councilor John Krol. "It's going to provide more diversity for them to be able to learn more from people who've had different experience in the past."

Krol was invited to host the early morning news program "Good Morning, Pittsfield" in 2006, when the station nearly lost its FCC license because of a lack of programming and too much dead air time caused by student turnover.

Krol pointed out that the budget at WTBR consists of an approximately ~~$6,000~~ $1,000 stipend paid to Kratka to run the station, and $6,000 for equipment and technical upgrades.

Sturgeon said the decision of whether to proceed with his show will now rest ultimately with the Pittsfield School Committee.

Tags: radio, WTBR,

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Dalton Capital Planning Committee Members Selected

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
12:57PM / Wednesday, January 21, 2026

DALTON, Mass. — The members of the town's Capital Planning Committee have been selected.

In December, the Attorney General's Office approved the Capital Planning Committee bylaw that was approved by voters at the annual town meeting last May, Town Manager Eric Anderson said last week.

The bylaw creates the committee, outlines membership, appointment and term, and highlights the committee's duties, which is to prepare a Capital Improvement Plan financing plan with a five-year forecast of revenues and expenses.

The members of the committee are Karen Schmidt and Tom Irwin, representatives of the Finance Committee, and Dennis Croughwell, a representative of the Planning Board. Anderson accepted the Finance and Planning Board's selections for the committee.

Also serving on the committee is Town Planner Janko Tomasic, and Lee Nunez, principal assessor.

Temporarily serving until the town hires a new town accountant and finance director will be Sandra Albano, who retired in October but has stayed on in the role until a replacement can be found.

Anderson appointed the at-large committee members as Daniel Esko, to ensure a Select Board member is involved, and the town's former town manager Kenneth Walto, because of his 19-year experience in the town manager position.

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