A Changing of the Guard at Franklin TV

Something big is going on at Franklin TV, more formally known as Franklin Community Cable Access TV, the town's public, educational, and government (PEG) access television. PEG channels were created in the United States between 1969 and 1971 by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and later mandated under the Cable Communications Act of 1984....That means each municipality with commercial cable services gets a portion of that revenue set aside from those services to support local programming creation.

Franklin's PEG operations go back many years but have been under the creative guidance and management of Pete Fasciano, a storied industry veteran who helped strengthen finances and build a first-class facility with multiple studios -- and even an FM radio station -- on Hutchinson Street.

Fasciano came aboard in 2012. That timing is significant because Fasciano's arrival essentially coincided with the creation of the modern Franklin TV organization. Franklin Community Cable Access was incorporated in 2011, replacing the earlier arrangement in which the Town's volunteer Cable Board oversaw the local access operation. By 2012, FCCA was assuming responsibility for the service as an independent nonprofit.

Fasciano came with an ambitious agenda and a top-shelf background. Through the seventies according to his LinkedIn page, Pete designed, built and managed television stations and teleproduction studios. In the eighties he started a large film and video production studio with a staff of fifty serving national advertising and marketing projects.

Pete then worked with Avid founder, Bill Warner, to launch that company in 1987-88, a high-flying startup that, with much help from Pete, created Avid's first product, the Media Composer nonlinear video editor -- a foundational technology in the industry. He then served as VP and Corporate Fellow for Avid Technology's Advance Product Development Group. Among his many projects, he designed/developed and prototyped AirPlay- the first play-to-air video server, EditCam- the first tapeless video camcorder, and AudioVision- the first digital Mix/Pix/Foley system for film audio.

Oh, and he also ended up helping out a local cable station or two before coming to Franklin.

Fast forward to 2026, and with 14 years on the job, Fasciano was thinking of engineering his "third retirement"...to free some time for his personal projects. Which brings the story to Elizabeth "Liz" Harkins, (pictured above) an award-winning community media leader, most recently the director of Wrentham Community Media, who has been chosen by Franklin TV's board as Pete's successor. "I can't get over the fact that Pete created a lot of the technology I have grown up on," she said.

According to a backgrounder she provided, Harkin's passion for broadcasting goes back to her childhood, when the world of media captured her imagination.

While in high school, Harkins immersed herself in television production, earning recognition for her dedication and leadership. During these formative years, she also served as the announcer for the prestigious Hero Among Us recognition at TD Garden, celebrating individuals whose extraordinary service positively impacted their communities.

In 2004, alongside her peers and mentor, Danielle Mannion—now President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS)—Harkins helped pioneer the Lights, Camera, Action Media Conference at Millis High School while still a student. The conference was created to inspire and educate the next generation of media professionals throughout the region.

Harkins went on to attend the New England School of Art & Design before earning a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, with a minor in Education, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

During her college years, Harkins gained experience at ABC40 in Springfield, where she worked under the mentorship of longtime journalist and news anchor Dave Madsen. Under his guidance, she developed a strong foundation in ethical journalism, community storytelling, and the responsibility local media has to inform, educate, and inspire.

While attending UMass, Harkins also served as a Teaching Assistant for Professor Nick McBride's Entrepreneurial Journalism course, an innovative program that challenged students to rethink traditional journalism by embracing collaboration, community engagement, and multimedia storytelling. In this leadership role, Harkins mentored fellow journalism students while helping coordinate immersive, real-world learning experiences that extended beyond the university classroom.

Following graduation, Harkins began her professional career at Needham High School as the

Television Production Teacher while also serving as Educational Coordinator for Needham

Cable Access. There, she combined classroom education with authentic production experiences, giving students opportunities to develop technical skills while learning the importance of journalism, storytelling, teamwork, and civic engagement.

In 2013, Harkins joined Milford TV as Member Services Coordinator. During her six years in that role, she discovered her passion for technical education, community engagement, and organizational leadership. It was at Milford TV that she founded the Bridging Gaps Program, an innovative partnership connecting Milford High School, the Milford Youth Center, and Milford TV. The program provided aspiring journalists and media professionals with real-world production experience while creating meaningful mentorship opportunities between educators, community organizations, and local media professionals.

In 2019, Harkins was appointed Executive Director of Milford TV. As Executive Director, she expanded programming, strengthened community partnerships, and helped position the organization as a leader in local media innovation. During this time, she also became deeply involved with MassAccess, Massachusetts' statewide organization supporting Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) access media.

Harkins later accepted the role of Executive Director at Wrentham Community Media (formerly

Wrentham Cable 8), where she transformed the organization into one of the region's most active community media centers. Under her leadership, monthly programming expanded to more than 50 original productions while production quality, community engagement, and volunteer participation all experienced significant growth.

Today, Harkins proudly serves as the Executive Director of Franklin TV, where she is honored to continue the remarkable legacy established by longtime Executive Director Pete Fasciano.

“Having worked alongside Pete for many years through the Massachusetts community media network, I understand both the responsibility and the opportunity that come with leading one of the Commonwealth's most respected access centers,” she said.

While she deeply respects the strong foundation built before her, Harkins said she is equally excited to bring her own vision for the future. Her goals include expanding educational programming, strengthening partnerships with schools and community organizations, embracing emerging technologies, increasing civic engagement, and ensuring Franklin TV continues to evolve “as an innovative and indispensable community resource.”