Pittsfield Community Radio, WBTR To Have On-Air Fundraiser to Support the Station

10:28AM / Monday, November 17, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. Pittsfield Community Radio, 89.7 WTBR-FM, will be holding a one-day on-air fundraiser on Thursday, Nov. 20, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

All money raised during the on-air fundraiser will go towards continuing the mission of providing the community with a non-profit, non-commercial radio station to present diverse local, entertaining, informative, and educational programming.

The event will also help raise funds for 88.1 WSBR in Lee, which has been simulcasting Pittsfield Community Radio to the Southern Berkshires since January.

The on-air event will be anchored by former Pittsfield morning radio fixture and current Coordinator of Advancement at WTBR, Bob Heck, and Pittsfield Community Television’s Executive Director and Morning Drive host Shawn Serre. The day will also feature many local radio personalities who currently produce radio programs on WTBR. There will be special guests, including Mayor Peter Marchetti, Pittsfield Public Schools Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips, WTBR-FM board members, and many more.

Shawn Serre, Executive Director of PCTV, says this event is critical to the station's success and continued operation.

"This station survives when the community steps up with its support," said Serre. "We are grateful to be able to provide this programming every day of the year, and our annual Radiothon fundraiser is one way we can make that happen. Donations received during this event are what keeps the lights on and the transmitter broadcasting," he said.

Many premium gifts will be given away, including local restaurant and business gift certificates. Every donation of $25 or more will qualify for a chance to win a Thanksgiving dinner from KJ Nosh Catering.

"This year, we have proven the need for our community to continue to have a community radio station," Heck said. "The independent, participatory community radio WTBR provides is rare in today’s mass media world. We’re the only radio station in the Berkshires that allows community members from all walks of life to come together to listen, create, react, and engage. Once a year we ask the larger community to come together and help keep us going."

The one-day on-air fundraiser will air all day on 89.7 WTBR-FM as well as 88.1 WSBR-FM in Lee, the WTBR Facebook page, and on PCTV Select, available on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire.

Donations can be made by calling 413-445-4234 during the pledge drive or made online anytime at wtbrfm.com.

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Fenton: Governor's Council Must Deliver for the Berkshires

Community submissionGuest Column
10:22AM / Friday, August 28, 2026

I am a Springfield lawyer running for Governor's Council and I am asking for Berkshire County residents to support me over an incumbent from North Adams.

Here's why: Last year I learned about staffing issues in our regional courts that I could not ignore. In 2025, it was reported that four of Western Massachusetts' 11 Superior Court judgeships were vacant, all at the same time. A few weeks later, that grew to five vacancies. This meant there were only six Superior Court judges serving all of Western Mass at a time when Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties had more than 100 pending homicide cases.

Those numbers were alarming to me, so I started to engage with leaders in the community who work most closely with the court system and I came to learn that these vacancies were only the tip of the iceberg here in Berkshire County.

I learned that no Superior Court or District Court judge had been appointed from the Berkshires since the current incumbent took office. As a result, there is not a single Superior Court judge who lives in the Berkshires today, and several of the District Court judges drive in from other counties to support Berkshire courts in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, and North Adams. Court staff also informed me about severe staffing shortages at the Berkshire Clerk of Courts office resulting in other counties needing to loan staff to the Berkshires just so hardworking employees can take a brief and planned summer vacation. This is not normal. These issues are a reflection of genuine problems with the Berkshire County court system and show a lack of proactive attention from our Governor's Councilor.

Instead of focusing on regional equity, I watched as the current incumbent celebrated that she has voted against the governor's nominees more than any other councilor, without much explanation as to why. Most recently, she voted against two extremely qualified former prosecutors for the Parole Board. This was despite an in-person plea from the governor and a letter of support from all the three of the district attorney's from Western Mass. Those votes do not show independence or standing up for principles, they demonstrate naivete, and an unwillingness to work with the key stakeholders.

I had seen and heard enough. I decided to jump in the race and challenge the incumbent to address these problems head-on.

I am a partner of a regional law firm. I understand our courts and the importance of having qualified, fair and hardworking judges. And I know how important it is to have judges from the Berkshires serving the Berkshires. To achieve that, you need strong relationships with the legal community and local stakeholders. You need to know how to use the power of the Governor's Council to fight forcefully for our region. And you need to be laser focused on identifying vacancies before they occur so that they can be filled quickly with local candidates.

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