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Western Mass. journalist Chris Collins dies at 54

Chris Collins.
Greenfield Recorder / recorder.com
Chris Collins.

A western Massachusetts broadcaster passed away over the weekend. Those who knew Chris Collins, who was 54, say he made a big mark as a small-town journalist.

Over a career spanning decades, Collins served as program director at WHMP radio in Northampton, news director at WHAI radio in Greenfield and as a columnist for the Greenfield Recorder. He was also a regular guest on New England Public Media's "The Short List."

Most recently, Collins was the general manager for Frontier Community Access Television in Franklin County.

Bobby Campbell was a friend since childhood.

"You know the old saying, 'You got the pulse of the county?' You know you put your thumb down and you knew exactly what was going on? That was like Chris," Campbell said. "People trusted him so much that when you met him, you trusted him. So when you heard what he said, you believed him."

In a Facebook post, the mayor of Greenfield said about Collins: "He could surely annoy me at times but I always knew it was in service to his craft."

Campbell said Collins had long-standing issues with his heart and died after recently undergoing surgery.

Before joining New England Public Media, Alden was a producer for the CBS NEWS program 60 Minutes. In that role, he covered topics ranging from art, music and medicine to business, education and politics.