Executive Producer Dave Fraser
Want to know more about the talented, dedicated team that makes Connecting Point happen each week? Our Behind the Scenes (BTS) blog will profile a production staff member each month. First up: Connecting Point Executive Producer & Assistant Production Manager Dave Fraser!
BTS: Why did you join the team at WGBY?
Dave: I was a freelance videographer, and WGBY was one of the places that I did freelance work for. It always seemed like a great working environment whenever I came here, so when there was an opening I applied for it!
BTS: How long have you been on staff, and have you always held the same position?
Dave: I started in 1996 as a videographer/editor then became a producer in 2000 and finally assistant production manager.
BTS: What sort of work do you most enjoy producing here?
Dave: I enjoy going out into the field and interviewing people who are passionate about the things they do. It may be the work they do or the cause they believe in or just a hobby they have had all their life, but to have the ability to share other people’s stories with our audience is very rewarding. This job gives us the opportunity to go places that not everyone has the opportunity to go to. For example, I have been up in a hot air balloon over Northampton, delivered milk at 4:00am with Mapleline Farm, and even walked through the canals of Holyoke after the water had been drained out of them.
BTS: What’s the Connecting Point story or documentary of which you’re most proud?
Dave: I am most proud of Mountain Park Memories [a WGBY documentary] because of the response it got. I really had no idea how much that amusement park meant to people, so to be able to collect a lot of those memories and present it made me very proud.
BTS: How has evolution in technology changed the way you tell a story?
Dave: We have so many more options now because we are not limited to a certain amount of time on air. We have the ability to add additional content online and, in the case of a documentary, we will develop an entire website for a particular program.
BTS: What’s on your professional bucket list?
Dave: I would like to win a Regional Emmy® Award. I have been nominated but never won.
BTS: How would you describe Connecting Point to a person who’s never seen it?
Dave: It is a magazine style program; which means it features a wide variety of topics. More importantly, it is a show that connects our viewers with people, places and ideas of this community.
BTS: Which guest, dead or alive, would you most want to feature on the show?
Dave: That person changes for me from time to time. Recently, I have been following the progress of Heather Abbot, a victim of the Boston Marathon bombing. She had to choose between keeping her left foot, which had been badly injured, or allow doctors to amputate it. Knowing that she’d have a greater chance of leading an active lifestyle if she had it amputated, that’s what she chose to do. I have been amazed at her outlook and attitude she has shown through it all.
