WCCA TV Newsletter, October 2020 Meaningful Participatory Media

Welcome to YOUR Vision Television

This Month at WCCA TV, The People’s Channel

In a recent editorial published on Worcester’s Telegram & Gazette, WCCA TV’ Executive Director Mauro DePasquale urges Spectrum to have WCCA TV transmitted throughout the Spectrum/Charter network in the Central Massachusetts area.
WCCA TV has appealed to Worcester City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. and the City Council numerous times seeking Spectrum/Charter to allow WCCA to broaden its transmission to the entire Spectrum network on Sept. 25, 2019, and again on June 11, 2020. The second appeal was made most relevant by the horrible shooting of George Floyd.
Now, we learn that Diocese of Worcester programing will be discontinued on Cable Channel 193, which was programmed through the Spectrum Central Mass. network.
Let’s not lose another opportunity, for justice sake, to better our community media channel and to elevate diverse and disenfranchised voices. We should not allow a primarily dead unused regional Channel 193 resource to remain dark.
Our community has been advocating for decades to broaden the reach of WCCA TV. One opportunity was lost decades ago when the Italian channel, seen on then Charter Cable Channel 15, carried only about four hours of Italian RAI content. WCCA TV proposed sharing the channel regionally, but Charter blocked the merger. Where is that Italian channel today? Gone!
There is an opportunity now before us. WCCA TV has the unmatched experience, capacity, content and facility to reach a regional audience beyond Worcester through Spectrum’s network of subscribers.
WCCA TV currently presents diverse content, which reflects our demographics. Production topics include health and wellness, culture, music and religion, including the new Catholic Diocesan daily masses. City Councilors, School Committee members and the Mayor also use WCCA TV.
WCCA TV can easily manage and train individuals and organizations of all backgrounds to access the station’s equipment and channel. Our goal is to empower the disenfranchised with broader reach. It is in the absolute interest of the city to fully support our public access channel and mission, which is the only channel to be fully centered upon community participation, democracy and media literacy. Public Access Channel is after all, TV by for and of the people. Let’s make the switch for a broader-reaching WCCA TV and put the people and their channel first. Thanks you as always for your support!

To support WCCA TV programming, please text WCCATV to 243725. Your generous gift is tax deductible!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook or Twitter. On Instagram, we are wccatv13.

WCCA TV’s ‘Daily Breaking’ Special Presentations

This edition of WCCA TV’s ‘Daily Breaking’ features Adrien C. Finlay, Executive Director at Music Worcester, who informs viewers about free concerts during the COVID-19 shutdown and upcoming paid virtual events as part of the 2020-2021 Season.

This edition of ‘Daily Breaking’ features Bryan Levangie, the Location Pastor at the Next Level Church in West Boylston. Pastor Levangie shares the good news and uplifting messages of his church during these challenging times. He also talks about what they are doing online & in person to bring continued hope to the greater Worcester community and beyond.

This edition of ‘Daily Breaking’ features Ann McCarron, Associate Athletic Director at WPI and a two-time breast cancer survivor. Ann talks about her experience with metastatic breast cancer, treatment with both traditional and experimental drugs, and the hopeful story of living a full life while in remission.

This edition of ‘Daily Breaking’ features Terrell Wilson, the Executive Chef at the new Franklin Street Fare restaurant. The restaurant combines various food truck delicacies under one roof.

This edition of ‘Daily Breaking’ features Charbel Najem from The Nissi Project, who will provide information about the Project’s mission, vision and purpose.

This edition of ‘Daily Breaking’ features Mark Henderson, Founder and CEO of The016.com. Mark talks about the history of The016.com, along with its growth and daily work. The016.com is THE place where people can find out everything going on in and around Worcester. It recently surpassed 10 million page-views all time and a record 1 million page-views in August. Mark is thankful for their users, advertisers and media partners, like WCCA TV, who share their mission of informing local people about things that impact their lives.

This edition of ‘Daily Breaking’ features Karen E. Ludington, Vice President at Children’s Friend, Inc., an affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation. Karen talks about the organization’s history of serving children and families since 1849, and their mission to improve the lives of children and those who love them by creating, supporting and strengthening families.

This edition of ‘Daily Breaking’ features Jean-Luc Wittner, chef and co-owner of Suzette Crêperie & Café in the Canal District. Jean-Luc talks about opening a restaurant during the Covid pandemic and the café’s authentic French, gluten free, and vegan-friendly offerings.

This edition of ‘Daily Breaking’ features Brad Dumont, Music Director with the Salisbury Singers, Inc.. Brad will introduce the group’s fall season with guest artists presenting virtually from around the region & country and welcoming new members to meet with them and sing from home.

This edition of ‘Daily Breaking’ features Evelyn Darling, Executive Director at the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District. Evelyn will discuss the organization’s ongoing efforts and plans in making Downtown Worcester a more vibrant destination.

This edition of ‘Daily Breaking’ features Felicio Lana, owner of Northeast Properties, who shares his plans for Midtown Mall as well as major changes and future developments in downtown Worcester.

This edition of ‘Daily Breaking’ features Dr. Michael Lee, Associate Professor and a breast cancer researcher based at UMass Medical School, who has a grant funded by the American Cancer Society. Dr. Lee discusses his vital work and strides made.

WCCA TV Program Notes

  • Tune in to all new episodes of Soapbox in October. Host and WCCA TV Executive Director, Mauro DePasquale, will feature self-help books author Charles Smith; consultant Melody Beach who will discuss job seeking for those 50 and older; Julieane Frost and Cheri Carty from the Paul Revere Toastmasters Club; and WiFi dangers with advocate Patricia Burke. Soapbox can be seen on WCCA TV Channel 194 in Worcester and streaming live worldwide at www.wccatv.com, on Saturdays at 10:30 pm and Sundays at 6:30 pm. To be a guest on the show, contact Tracy Foley at tracy@wccatv.org. There is something for everyone on WCCA TV!
  • Health Matters is a program from the Worcester District Medical Society. Host Dr. Bruce Karlin welcomes Dr. Gary Blanchard to the show. The topic of discussion is A Health Care Proxy: You Must Choose, But Choose Wisely. Exclusively on WCCA TV 194!
  • Tune in to a new episode of Rosen’s Round Table. Host of the show & City Councilor Gary Rosen and his panel members talk about Polar Park and the projects surrounding. In another episode, the topic of discussion is the hot real estate market on Worcester’s west side.
  • Did you know that some homemade crafts turn out to be very valuable? To learn more, tune in to this new episode of Hidden Treasures. Host William Safer helps you learn how to find that hidden antique or collectible that just may add cash to your life.
  • The Mayor’s Forum, hosted by Worcester’s Mayor Joe Petty, features local guests to discuss a
    wide range of topics that impact residents of Worcester and Central Massachusetts. The Mayor welcomes Peter Dunn, the Chief Development Officer for the City of Worcester. In another episode, the Mayor chats with Stephanie Ramey, President of Worcester Railers HC.
  • Perspectives is a WCCA TV program that features local and national guests sharing their perspectives on politics, current events, religion, and more. Host Asima Silva welcomes to the show children’s author Ali Chemkhi. In another episode, Asima’s guest is author and convert to Islam Dr. Celene Ibrahim.
  • Activate Worcester hosted by Ron Motta, is a WCCA TV program that shows viewers how to participate and become active in Worcester. Ron’s guest is Tracy Lovvorn, a candidate for the 2020 Massachusetts 2nd Congressional District. In another episode, Ron chats with The Last Telegram blogger Jay
    Givan    .
  • This is Worcester is a WCCA TV program hosted and produced by community activist Bill Coleman. Bill’s guest is the Executive Director of the YWCA, Linda Cavioli. The plans for the future of the YWCA are discussed. In another episode, Bill and his guest Greg Dennis talk about the voting changes in Massachusetts.
  • Healthy Living is a WCCA TV show that features interviews with medical doctors and allied health individuals regarding important health-related issues. Host of the program, doctor Donald Pelto, talks about nail care with Bree Wright, a registered nurse in Canada.
  • What It’s Worth is a WCCA TV show definitely worth watching. Host Tommy Colletta welcomes to the show the multi-talented Dee Tomasetta. In another episode, Tommy chats with Dave O’Gara about radio stations in Worcester.
  • WCCA TV’s independent, eclectic music-video show, Video Jam, with host Tracy Foley, will feature new music from Now Endeavor, Olivia Holt, Jeremy Zucker, and Sonarpilot. Tune in on Fridays at 9 pm to WCCA TV, Channel 194 in Worcester MA. The show streams live at the same time worldwide at www.wccatv.com, where you can also download past shows. Keep on jammin’!!
  • WCCA TV’s country music video show, Video Jam Country, will feature new music from Love Harder, Jimmy Buffet, Filmore, A.C. Jones, Cherie Brennan, Richard Lynch, and much more. Spend an hour enjoying the latest and greatest in country music with host Tracy Foley. Shout out to all our country music fans!
  • Tune in to a new episode of WCCA TV’s Senior Speak. Host of the program, Edith Morgan, will discuss how seniors are coping with the stress of the pandemic, local happenings, and more. Senior Speak airs on WCCA TV, Cable Channel 194 in Worcester, on Tuesdays at 12:30 pm and Wednesdays at 12 pm.

Bonus Editorial

September 23, 2020
Make the switch. Let’s have WCCA TV transmitted throughout the Spectrum/Charter network in the central Mass area.
WCCA TV appealed to the City Manager and Council numerous times seeking Spectrum/Charter to allow WCCA to broaden its transmission to the entire Spectrum network as recently as Sept 25, 2019 and again on June 11, 2020, an appeal made most relevant by the horrible shooting of George Floyd, and also now to learn of the Diocese programing discontinuing on cable channel 193 which was programmed through the Spectrum central Mass network.
Let’s not lose another opportunity, for justice sake, to better our community media channel and to elevate diverse and disenfranchised voices. We should not allow a primarily dead unused regional channel 193 resource remain dark.
Our community has been advocating for decades to open broaden the reach of WCCA TV, one opportunity was last lost decades ago when the Italian channel on then Charter cable channel 15, seen regionally, which then carried only about 4 hours of Italian RAI content. WCCA TV proposed to share that channel regionally but Charter apparently pitted the Italian community against the Community at large to stop the merge. Where is that Italian channel today? GONE!
There is an opportunity now before us. WCCA TV has the unmatched experience, capacity, content and facility to take Worcester, the hub of Central Mass, to reach regional audience through Spectrum’s network of subscribers.
WCCA currently presents diverse content which reflects our diverse demographics. Production topics include, but are not limited to, health and wellness, cultural shows, music, show on a variety of religions and languages including the newly added Catholic Diocesan daily masses, City Councilors, The Mayor’s Forum and School Committee members all without being subservient to Spectrum or Charter’s prejudicial and discriminatory use of that channel. WCCA can easily manage and train individuals and organizations of all backgrounds to access the station’s equipment and channel.
Our goal is to empower the disenfranchised with broader reach.
WCCA TV is a non-profit and this approach would benefit the Government and Education Channels by WCCA TV’s willingness to carry their select content regionally as well. Regional broadcast of WCCA would be a key incentive to many including WCCA TV in our outreach, development and sustainability, especially in these trying times of the Covid pandemic.
How does the current discriminatory use of cable channel 193 weigh against the Cable Franchise Agreement? The basis of that agreement are built upon an exchange of neighborhood rights of way. All of our community should receive maximum benefit from it.
There is no viable reason why Charter cannot switch our signal to be regionally, to all the towns in its system, transmitted and in HD, while it did it for cherry picked community members. Please note, this appeal is not a slight to other town access centers. What we are asking does not and should not necessarily affect those channels at all.
It is in the absolute interest of the City and our community to better and fully support our public access channel and mission which is the only channel to be fully centered upon community participation, media democracy and media literacy. Public Access Channel is after all, TV BY FOR and OF the People. Let’s make the switch for a broader reaching WCCA TV and put the people and their channel first.
Thank you,

Mauro DePasquale, WCCA TV
508-755-1880 ext. 111
mauro@wccatv.com

About WCCA TV

Worcester Community Cable Access is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation administering public access cable television for Worcester, Massachusetts. Our mission is:

  • To advance democratic ideals by ensuring the people have access to electronic media
  • To provide a platform for first amendment rights and for artistic and cultural expression
  • To promote co-operative relations with those who serve the public interest
  • To promote communication through community use of media

LEARN, CREATE, CONNECT!
WCCA TV, Channeling Worcester Community Since 1986!