Claudia Perles cuts the ribbon held by BCC President Ellen Kennedy and NEPR General Manager Martin Miller at NEPR's new bureau on Tuesday.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — New England Public Radio opened its first Berkshire County bureau on Tuesday.

 

The radio station opened offices in the Central Station Business Center, the same building that houses 1Berkshire, in a partnership with Berkshire Community College.

 

On Tuesday, station and BCC officials were joined with employees from the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce to cut the ribbon on the new office space.

 

"We are really proud and pleased to be doing this," said NEPR General Manager Martin Miller before cutting a bright red ribbon to signify the opening. 

 

The non-profit covers Western and Central Massachusetts and operates nine stations that reach Berkshire County but has never had a reporting presence here. Through a gift from the Perles Family Foundation, NEPR hired a full-time reporter, Adam Frenier, to staff the Berkshire bureau.

 

"The hiring of Adam Frenier as our Berkshire reporter represents a significant expansion of New England Public Radio's news department and a major commitment to expand the station's news coverage of Berkshire County," wrote NEPR's Program Director John Voci in a statement.

 

Frenier's voice may be recognizable to many in Berkshire County as he's been a freelancer reporter with NEPR for five years. He boasts a total of 15 years in the radio business. Additionally, he has experience in teaching others about the business, which Miller says will help with the partnership with BCC.

 

The college, through this funding, will be able to send three paid interns to work with Frenier. 

 

"This really ties so beautifully with what's happening with 1Berkshire," college President Ellen Kennedy said of the job training benefits that come with the internship program.

 

Kennedy said NEPR is "high-powered, high-quality" media company that will help give the students the real work experience and insight to help them secure jobs in their fields and in the Berkshires.

 

NEPR plays a mix of news coverage and classical and jazz music programming. The organization combines programming from National Public Radio with New England specific programs, which now includes Berkshire County. 

 

"We love BCC and we love New England Public Radio," said Claudia Perles, who gifted the money to open the bureau.

 

Additional information: NEPR can be found at FM stations 96.3 and 101.1 in North County; 106.1 FM in Pittsfield; 98.3 FM in Lee and 96.7 FM in Great Barrington. Its main stations in the Springfield area are news and music at 88.5 FM and all news at WNNZ AM 640.

It is livestreamed here and the station can be contacted at radio@nepr.net or 413-735-6600.