PCTV To Hold 40th Anniversary Celebration

07:11AM / Friday, August 28, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield Community Television (PCTV) will celebrate 40 years of serving Pittsfield and the Berkshire County community with a special 40th Anniversary Celebration on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, at Berkshire Hills Country Club beginning at 6 pm.

For four decades, PCTV has provided residents, organizations, schools, government officials, and community groups with the opportunity to communicate, create, and connect through local media. What began in 1986 has grown and evolved alongside changes in television and technology while maintaining the same fundamental mission: giving the community a voice, stated a press release.

"From the earliest days of PCTV, this was always something uniquely local–something that could be about and for Pittsfield, and created by local people," said Shawn Serre, the station’s Executive Director. "To say I’m proud of what this organization has become, what contributions it has made to our community, and what our people have created here– it would be a great understatement! So many great programs, great stories and experiences, and great people. That’s what makes celebrating our 40th anniversary special for me," Serre said.

The evening will look back at memorable moments from PCTV's history while also celebrating the organization's continued commitment to the future of community media in Pittsfield.

Over the years, PCTV has documented moments in the city—from government meetings and elections to award-winning high school sports coverage, community events, local performances, public affairs programming, and original productions created by community members.

PCTV has also expanded beyond traditional community television. Today, the organization provides multimedia production resources and training while helping residents and organizations reach audiences across television, online platforms, and emerging forms of digital media. PCTV is also home to WTBR 89.7 FM, Pittsfield's community radio station.

The event will feature a keynote address from WTEN News10 ABC anchor and Pittsfield High School graduate Ryan Peterson. A special video retrospective presentation will debut, and Joe Adee and the Lugnuts will perform beginning at 9 pm.

Tickets to the celebration are $50 and can be purchased at pittsfieldtv.org.

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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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