PITTSFIELD MA, November 14, 2025 – Pittsfield Community Radio, 89.7 WTBR-FM, will be holding a one-day on-air fundraiser on Thursday, November 20th, 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.
Pittsfield Community Television is Pittsfield’s community media organization. A 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization serving the region since its founding in 1986, PCTV’s mission is to empower our community to create media and amplify diverse voices through the best technology and wide-reaching platforms, and its vision is that everyone in our area should have access to shared media experiences which inform, educate, engage, and entertain; foster civic and community engagement; and promote transparency in local government. PCTV also manages and operates WTBR-FM, also known as Pittsfield Community Radio, a full power non-commercial educational radio station broadcasting on 89.7 FM. Information on PCTV and WTBR-FM can be found at PittsfieldTV.org and at WTBRFM.com.
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