Ashland Cable Access Corporation was incorporated in 1985 and set up its first studio on Eliot Street. The station's first programs were regular tapings of the selectmen and school committee meetings. Over time, Ashland Cable expanded its programming line to include many types of shows. Some of these programs, which are still in production today, are "Calling All Kids," "Night at the Roundtable,"
"Unplugged," "Soup to Nuts," and many more. After several years, Ashland Cable became known as WACA TV, which soon caught on as a household word. People were talking about WACA TV all around town and our programming grew tremendously. Ashland's younger residents have been treated to summer video camp sessions and After School Video workshops, where they learned the art of video production. They spent their days creating their own music videos and doing mock news and weather programs. Many of these students have gone on to professional careers in the television and entertainment business. They attribute their choice of careers to the education and training they received during their time spent at WACA TV. With all this activity, WACA TV soon outgrew its space at 290 Eliot Street. In 1997, a new studio was built at the former Ashland High School at 87 West Union Street, where we are still located. Throughout the years, WACA TV has produced programs such as cooking shows, talk shows, and programs featuring rock, folk and acoustic bands. We have gone on location to a variety of interesting places, from behind the scenes at the Boston Ballet to covering the Worcester Memorial Service for fallen firefighters, to covering the events at the National Democratic Convention in Boston in 2004. The station has also been recognized on several occasions with awards for excellence in programming. In 2005, WACA TV entered into the digital world with the purchase of a video media server from MaestroVision to broadcast our growing program lineup more efficiently. The station completed another major equipment upgrade with the purchase of new cameras, a new switcher and high definition non-linear edit systems to prepare the station for HD broadcasting. In 2013, WACA TV outgrew the old station and moved to a 3900 square foot facility at 200 Butterfield Drive. Our new space includes a set kitchen, a spacious studio, a conference room, and two editing suites, preparing us to take on new, high quality productions. Our crew continues to travel to events around Ashland, including a recent ZipTrip visit by Fox25 news. We are always looking for volunteers and for new show proposals from members of the Ashland Community. We look forward to continuing to increase our station's offerings to meet the needs of the Ashland Community for many more years to come.
