Volunteer Spotlight - Ron and Don

WCTV is sending out a big thanks to our volunteer team Don & Ron. Don Leard and Ron Buccheri have been shooting the Selectmen, School Committee and annual Town meetings for more than 17 years! And that’s not all they do; they are also volunteers in the many locally produced shows we air at WCTV including “Sports Forum.”

Ron came to WCTV as a volunteer in 1994 after a long history in television at WGBH.

“When public access came along, it allowed people to participate in the community on a local level, and I think that’s a great thing,” Ron said.

He decided to become involved at WCTV because of the ability to tape the town meetings.

“We are just there to help the community at large to be at these meetings without physically being there,” Ron said. “It helps people stay connected to the important issues in our community.”

Don became a volunteer in 1992 to get involved in the community and to learn more about the television medium. Don was a commercial artist since graduating from college at the Vesper George School of Art in Boston. He has worked for companies such as Big Dig and Rust Craft Greeting Cards.

Don and Ron met while taking classes at WCTV and teamed up to shoot the town meetings. They have become so well known as a team that they have been labeled “The Don & Ron Show” here at WCTV.

“If you see Don operating a camera, you will see Ron working audio with his headphones on,” Sandra Curtin, WCTV Executive Director, said.

Don and Ron get plenty of exercise lugging the mobile broadcast and transmission equipment from our offices on Waltham Street to all of the meetings, setting it all up before the meetings, taking it down afterward and returning it to WCTV every time.

Next year, Don and Ron will have to find a different exercise routine because we will be installing permanent equipment in Room 9 as we move to point-to-point, high quality digital video over the internet. After all, Don and Ron have done such a great job over the years, we want to make it as easy as possible for them to do what they love: serve our community.