FITCHBURG — It’s the end of a stellar era for a local legend who is retiring after an incredible run as a television personality that has spanned an impressive five decades.
Barbara Foster will take her final bow as the congenial host of her aptly named “Barbara & You” Fitchburg Access Television (FATV) talk show on Saturday, May 30, during a special live taping. The general public is welcome to attend the 50th anniversary affair that begins at 11 a.m. in Fitchburg State University’s Westford Auditorium, with doors opening an hour prior for a meet and greet and autograph session with the woman being honored.
According to an FATV press release, “Barbara & You” has long been a staple of local television programming, bringing community voices, stories, and personalities into viewers’ homes throughout the region. The golden anniversary celebration will recognize Foster’s remarkable dedication and longstanding impact on community media as she takes the stage for the final time and people from the region and beyond are encouraged to attend the live taping and help recognize the extraordinary milestone.
Admission is free and everyone is welcome to attend. Guests are encouraged to RSVP in advance by visiting fatv.org/barbara. Parking will be available in Fitchburg State University parking areas 8, 9, and 11, including the Upper Weston, Lower Weston, and Ross Street lots, with a map of the campus accessible through the link above.
“Barbara & You” is broadcast in several local towns and cities in North Central Mass including the Twin Cities, Leominster and Foster’s hometown of Fitchburg. She is understandably having mixed emotions about saying goodbye to her role that has enabled her to interview thousands of people from all walks of life since her show first aired on May 11, 1976, when she was hired by Montachusett Cable.
“Part of me never wants to give up, another part of me says ‘Quit while you’re ahead,’” she recently said. “These 50 years of hosting my TV show have been wonderful. I have met marvelous people and learned a lot from them.”
After “Barbara & You” launched, Foster quickly became known as an affable host with a gift for making people feel comfortable in front of the cameras. She has interviewed celebrities and notables such as former Boston Celtics point guard Bob Cousy, musicians Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Dinah Shore, longtime Boston news anchor Jack Williams, former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, and many more.
And she has also interviewed countless local people from the greater region, in her words “local celebrities” making a difference in their communities. When asked back in 2024 for a Sentinel & Enterprise story what she has enjoyed most about her show, Foster didn’t hesitate to say, “all the wonderful people I’ve interviewed, and they have become friends.”
FATV did some research and determined that while there are other shows that have been on the air at least 50 years, “Barbara & You” is the only one that has had the same host. That makes her the longest running host of a television show ever in the country, including broadcast television.
“Such a huge accomplishment!” said Leominster resident Robyn Comeau, who has long been the “Barbara & You” technical director.
Comeau reflected on her time working alongside Foster for many years when the 45th anniversary episode of the show was taped at Coggshall Park in Fitchburg in June of 2021.
“Barbara is one of the most interesting people I have ever met,” Comeau said then. “She really does have a story for everything and has done so many incredible things. I’m proud to be part of the ‘Barbara & You’ show, she’s an amazing person and she’s making history.”
In addition to being a critically acclaimed, award-winning television host, Foster has had a successful career as a realtor. And although it is incredibly bittersweet, she feels like now is the right time to retire from her show “despite continued interest and support from FATV, my guests, and the community – and that “it feels even more special to be able to wrap the show in its 50th year.”
“When briefing for each show, I tell the guests ‘This isn’t about me. It’s about you.’ Well, this time it is about me and my crew. I will miss my time with the guests, but especially the marvelous FATV crew and especially Robyn, who has volunteered as my director for the past eight years.”
Foster disclosed that going back in her memory to try and recall all of the wonderful “Barbara & You” directors she has worked with over the years “is nearly impossible.”
“I do recall one other special director, John McNamara, who had worked with me the longest during the private cable company years,” she said. “My show was not on public access when it began in 1976 and when it was time to transition to public access television, FATV welcomed me and promised to give me all the technical help I needed. I was so very grateful to continue my show without losing any time on the air.”
Foster went on to say that the entire FATV crew, both past and present, “is truly amazing and dedicated to their craft and their community.”
“I want to thank Nate Glenny, Travis Falk, Robyn Comeau, Dan Beaulac, Ellen Daoust, and Peter Hanley for all of the time and dedication to not only my show but all the other shows on which they work,” she said. “It is worth noting that I’ve also been lucky to work with many volunteers, college students, and interns over the last 50 years and I would be remiss if I did not mention some of the previous teams — Dave Svens, Scott May, Anne Bisbee, Michael Smith, and way back when before it was on FATV interns when my show was still at the cable company, Phil Zekos, John MacNamara, Jennifer MacLean, Beth Wilson, and Marnie MacLean. Working with the myriad staff and volunteers has been one of the best parts of the 50 years of ‘Barbara & You.’”
Foster has raised seven children, has 12 grandchildren, and five great grandchildren with another on the way, and members of her close-knit family have been guests on her show. Two of her grandchildren, Sabina and Krill Strunkin, made an appearance on her May 19 show and her daughters Leslie DeBord and Jessica Strunkin will be featured during the second half of her next to last show on May 26 before the grand finale next weekend.
“The community has been with me for many milestones in my own life,” Foster shared. “As my viewers certainly know many of my children, their spouses, and their children have been on my program. There was also that very special Christmas episode during the Zoom years when even some of my great grandchildren made it onto the show from outside of Massachusetts.”
She talked a little bit more about her Christmas musical, an annual tradition she really enjoyed doing that became a way for her to be able to highlight local artists “and a fun way to share my family updates with my viewers.”
When asked what it means to her to have so many people in the area and beyond supporting her over the last five decades, Foster said “it means the world to me.”
“I totally appreciate the goodness, kindness, cooperation, and sincerity of many wonderful people over the years, and this includes the many cities and towns that have aired my show in addition to the current work by FATV,” she expressed. “It is the community’s interest and support that has allowed the show to be on the air for 50 years and allowed me to do adventurous shoots on location and amazing interviews, anything from celebrities like Johnny Cash and Arthur Fiedler to raising money during MDA telethons to highlighting important community organizations like Ginny’s Helping Hand.
“The show also created other opportunities for me like hosting the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce breakfast meetings for over 20 years, often being taped by FATV,” Foster continued. “I have truly been blessed by having the privilege of getting to know so many friendly people and getting to share their stories with our local communities.”
She is taking away a lot from her overall experience with “Barbara & You,” but most of all Foster said she has “loved shining a spotlight on ordinary people doing amazing things, amazing people doing ordinary things, and everything in between.”
“Most people don’t get an opportunity to share their stories and more than anything, I have enjoyed creating a platform for local residents to share the positive things they are doing to make our community an even better place to live and thrive,” she said.
As for what she will miss the most about “Barbara & You,” Foster kept it simple when giving her reason why.
“The thing I might miss most of all are those chance interactions that lead to the inevitable question, ‘Do you want to come on my show?’”
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