Published in the September 29, 2020 edition.

By GAIL LOWE

WAKEFIELD — The only thing that has been consistent during the pandemic is change. For the past six months, change has come to every facet of life, from how the young are educated to how restaurants serve patrons and everything in between.

Last week, the Daily Item contacted WCAT studios on Hemlock Road to find out how the town’s local community access TV network has been coping with the pandemic and what preparations were established before the country went into lockdown.

Executive Director Ryan Boyd commented that his staff has been exceptional during this time, with every employee stepping up and taking on new responsibilities.

The station’s official shutdown date was March 24; however, most staff activities continued offsite or with only one staff member in the building. In her role as Studio Administrator, Barbara Worley is handling scheduling of the two channels and works with YouTube and Facebook from home.

“The other staff members are also able to do many of their tasks at home, like editing,” Worley said, adding that she made major changes on the public channel by devoting mornings to children’s programming using a variety of content sources.

To illustrate, the Beebe Library shared their librarian shows with WCAT while the Beebe Book Buzz monthly book review shows (normally filmed in the studio) continued on Zoom. Also, St. Florence Parish and First Parish Congregational Church began filming and airing their services along with St. Joseph Church.

“The religious program on WCAT increased to 44 hours a week,” noted Worley, adding that she considers the station to be a bridge between residents who don’t use or have a Facebook page or YouTube and the ones who do.

“We are somewhat like the Daily Item in that way,” she commented.

Amy Couture, a senior at Endicott College working toward a degree in digital media with a concentration in filmmaking, has offered invaluable help as WCAT’s intern. Boyd and Worley, along with Operations Manager and Chief Engineer Ian McDermott and Senior Producer and Editor Adam Nestle appreciate her hard work.

“I’m very proud of the job everyone has been able to do, given the circumstances,” said Boyd. “Productions are still ongoing (mainly remote) for shows and meetings of town boards and committees, and we are continually discussing how we can improve.”

Worley noted that residents say they would watch WCAT more often if a printed schedule were available, but this is not feasible. The government channel airs meetings and content that varies greatly in length from week to week.

The public channel does have some set shows. For instance, there is Yoga at 7 a.m. and Glo’s Eatery at 10:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. Senior exercise is aired at 11 a.m., also Monday through Friday. Religious programming has a set schedule, and Worley said she would be happy to provide specific schedules. (Contact her at Barbara.Worley@wcat.tv or 781-224-0300.)

Since the onset of the pandemic, WCAT staff have had to find creative ways to continue traditions. For instance, on the Fourth of July WCAT interviewed Dan and Lois Benjamin about the parade and then aired non-stop town parades from the 1990s to 2019 on both channels 24/7.

“Fortunately, WCAT was well-prepared for the pandemic,” said Boyd, who replaced Tom Stapleton when he retired last year.

For the time being, the position Boyd previously held is not being filled, and Stapleton saved the day when he volunteered to work the camera for Wakefield Memorial High School’s 2020 graduation and Town Meeting. Stapleton also came out of retirement to join the Red Sox review panel.

Funding is always a concern, but WCAT is fortunate that funds have remained status quo. Cable access stations get their funding through the cable companies in town.

“For Wakefield that means RCN, Comcast, and Verizon,” explained Boyd. “The town receives the franchise funding from these companies and passes it on to us. We have taken our biggest hit with sponsorship and underwriting opportunities. Due to the cancellation of town events for the year, it has hindered our opportunities to raise funds through sponsorships.”

Boyd is hoping that the pandemic will end soon, but until it does, WCAT will continue to adapt and change how things are handled.

“The challenge is being sure we can work safely and effectively to meet our members’ needs and help them produce the best product possible,” he said. “We have worked since March to improve our production abilities so our members can produce shows remotely or in our studio.”

WCAT continues to film shows in the studio if certain safety procedures are followed, such as people being six feet apart and limiting inside visits to no more than ten people at any given time. Face coverings must be worn by all who are not on camera.

One recent filming was an interview with Wakefield artist Merrill Mizikofsky, and Opera Club of Wakefield founder Howard Hart is in the process of getting “Speaking Opera” on the air waves.

The studios are also currently working with the high school to film and air three sports—boys and girls soccer and girls field hockey.

“Players are limited to one guest each so being able to watch on Facebook and TV will be great,” said Worley.

A major downside to the pandemic was the cancellation of this year’s “Movies by the Lake” series.

Said Boyd, “We held out as long as possible, but the right thing to do was cancel this year. I think people understand the reason, and while we wish it could have been different, it’s one of the sacrifices we’re all making to ensure the safety of our friends and neighbors.”

Worley added that by the time cancelling was decided and announced, it did not come as a big surprise.

“Some people suggested a drive-in movie format; however, it just wasn’t feasible for Wakefield,” she said.

Boyd added that events like Festival Italia and the Holiday Stroll are celebrations that people really look forward to each year.

“There is always that sense of belonging when people attend these festivals,” he said. “We’re living in difficult times, and people want to feel like they’re a part of something special. But as I said before, I think the people of Wakefield understand and support the reasons why these events cannot be held for the time being. But I get the feeling that when they do come back, it will be in a big way.”

No one should take community television for granted, as there is no guarantee it will be around forever.

“If you value government transparency, local municipal meeting coverage, local programming and want to create your own content at a minimal cost ($50 per year), then please use your voice and sign up today,” advised Boyd. “We want you as a member of WCAT. We want your ideas and opinions. The FCC has been working to defund local community television for the last few years.” He pointed to docket 05-311, which was passed last year and allows cable companies to charge community TV stations for previously included in-kind contributions.

“Our funding could see a sharp decrease if they can follow this path,” said Boyd. “It’s a dangerous time for community media, as our funding has never been more in question. So far we’ve been lucky, but stations like ours across the nation are anxiously waiting for these cable companies to take the next step in decreasing our funding.”

Those wishing to support WCAT, a non-profit organization, can be through membership ($50-$1,500). Information about membership will be made public before the end of the year. WCAT welcomes volunteer production crew, but the need has decreased with the pandemic. Schedule is on WCATWakefield.org. Follow WCAT on Facebook and WCAT Wakefield YouTube.