>>> RAY HERSHEL BEGAN HIS BROADCAST CAREER IN 1968, AND ON
APRIL 15TH OF THIS MONTH HE WILL CELEBRATE 50 YEARS IN
BROADCASTING.
WHAT MAKES THIS EVEN MORE REMARKABLE IS THAT THOSE 50
YEARS HAVE ALL BEEN AT THE SAME TV STATION, SPRINGFIELD'S
CHANNEL 40.
KNOWN AS THE DEAN OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS JOURNALISTS, RAY
HAS TRAVELED THE WORLD COVERING NEWS STORIES AND BEEN THE
RECIPIENT OF NUMEROUS AWARDS.
HE SAT DOWN WITH "CONNECTING POINT"'S DAVE FRASER RECENTLY TO
REFLECT BACK ON AN AMAZING CAREER.
>> I GREW UP IN CHICOPEE FALLS, WENT TO LOCAL SCHOOLS.
MY KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 4 WENT TO SHERIDAN STREET SCHOOL
IN CHICOPEE FALLS.
GRADES 5 THROUGH 8, ST.
STAND ST.
STANDISLAU.
AND I GRADUATED IN 1963 AND FROM THERE ATTENDED EMERSON COLLEGE.
WHEN I GRADUATED COLLEGE I WAS MORE INTOED IN NEWS BROADCASTING
THAN SPORTS BROADCASTING, AND THERE I CAME TO WHYM BACK IN
APRIL 1968.
AT THE TIME WE WORKED IN OUR NEWSROOM, A LITTLE NEWSROOM
WHERE EVERYBODY WAS ELBOW TO BOWL, BUT WE HAD A GREAT
CAMARADERIE, A LOT OF FUN.
WE HAD NEWS EVERY HOUR AND HALF-HOUR, FIVE MINUTES ON THE
HOUR, THREE MINUTES ON THE HALF-HOUR.
WE HAD TO REWRITE ALL OUR NEWS, WE HAD TO CALL UP PEOPLE TO BE
INTERVIEWED OVER THE PHONE, ED IT OUR TAPES, PUT THAT ON THE
AIR.
SO IT WAS A GREAT TRAINING GROUND FOR ME IN TELEVISION
BECAUSE IT TAUGHT ME HOW TO WORK UNDER DEAD LYNN APPRECIATOR TO
GET THESE NEWSCASTS WRITTEN AND ON THE AIR IN TIME.
I WAS A KID, A YOUNG REPORTER, FRESH OUT OF COLLEGE, AND I FELT
ALMOST LIKE A ROOKIE GOING TO TRAINING CAMP TRYING TO CRACK
THE RED SOX STARTING LINEUP.
IT WAS WHYN RADIO, AND TELEVISION.
AND WE WERE THREE ENTITIES IN ONE IN ONE BUILDING.
EVEN THOUGH I STARTED ON RADIO FOR A YEAR OR TWO, HI THE
OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSITION OVER TO TV VERY EASILY.
WHEN I FIRST STARTED THE TRANSITION I WOULD
WORK FOUR HOURS ON THE RADIO AND THEN FOUR HOURS ON TV, GOING OUT
COVERING NEWS STORIES.
SO THE TRANSITION WAS SEAMLESS, IF YOU
WILL.
>> THEIR MESSAGE QUITE DIFFEREN- >> THE FIRST STORY I HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO COVER WAS THE RETURN OF PRISONERS OF WAR FROM
NORTH VIETNAM TO WEST OVER.
BUT COMING BACK TO WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS AFTER BEING
RELEASED FROM THESE PRISON CAMPS.
>> HE WAS THE ONLY RETURNING P.O.
TWO MAKE A STATEMENT.
>> SO THAT STORY WAS AN INDICATOR TO ME JUST HOW
POWERFUL A MEDIAN TELEVISION IS.
THAT PERHAPS WAS ONE OF THE TURNING POINTS EARLY IN MY
CAREER, HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO COVER A STORY OF THIS NATURE,
AND HOPEFULLY I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY AND DID PRETTY WELL
WITH IT.
BECAUSE AFTER THAT THINGS STARTED TO GO REALLY WELL FOR
ME.
>> THIS IS THE AREA OF THE GOOD FENCE, LOCATED ON THE
ISRAELI-LEBANESE BORDER.
>> I'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE.
TRAVELED LITERALLY ALL OVER THE WORLD, BEEN TO THE HOLY LAND
BACK IN 1983 WITH AN INTERFAITH GROUP, IN '84 AFTER THE U.S.
OLYMPIC TEAM WON THE GOLD MEDAL IN LOS ANGELES, WHEN TICK DAG
IT, A WEST SPRINGFIELD NATIVE CAME BACK HOME, HAD A WONDERFUL
OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT HIM WITH VIDEO OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE
OLYMPICS.
BUT FOR HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE RIGHT THERE WITH HIS
FAMILY, WHICH HE ENJOYED FOR ROWLY.
>> THIS C141 IS TAKING THESE TROOPS BACK HOME.
>> AS YOU KNOW, WESTOVER AIR RESERVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO
TRAVEL MANY TIMES WITH THE AIR FORCE ON MISSIONS, HUMANITARIAN
MISSIONS OF MERCY.
WHEN POPE FRANCIS VISITED PHILADELPHIA, PEOPLE FLOCKED ALL
OVER THE WORLD TO PHILADELPHIA TO SEE THE POPE.
BUT TO BE PART OF EVENTS LIKE THAT, A VERY EXHILARATING, WHERE
YOU GET A SENSE OF HOW SMALL THE WORLD IS.
WE MAY BE LOCAL REPORTERS HERE IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS, BUT IN
THIS DAY AND AGE OF TECHNOLOGY THE WORLD HAS SHRUNK, WORLD IS A
VERY SMALL PLACE.
AND WE GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO COVER THOSE KINDS OF STORIES.
I'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED MY WORK HERE.
I CONSIDER MYSELF VERY LUCKY, I WORK WITH SOME OF THE BEST
PEOPLE IN THE BUSINESS.
THEY HAVE BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF ME, HELPED ME AS A REPORTER OVER THE
YEARS, AND THE PEOPLE OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARE THE BEST AS
WELL.
THEY'RE FANTASTIC.
SO FOR ME, IN WAS A WONDERFUL PLACE NOT ONLY TO EXPAND MY
CAREER BUT TO RAISE MY FAMILY AS WELL.
AND IT WORKED FOR ME, IT TRULY DID.
I HAVE NO REGRETS.
I'VE BEEN HERE 50 YEARS AND I'VE LOVED PRETTY MUCH EVERY MINUTE
OF IT.
GOD HAS BLESSED ME WITH A PASSION FOR WHAT I DO, AND I'M
WRAPPING UP 50 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS AND COULDN'T BE HAPPIER