“Franklin Almanac” Dedicated to All Things Franklin Polikseni Manxhari New Host, New Face on Franklin TV

In case you haven’t been paying attention, there’s a new face on Franklin TV, and she aims to put her finger on the pulse of the town. Polikseni Manxhari, who joined Franklin TV in October, is the new producer and host of “Franklin Almanac,” designed to cover what’s going on in your neighborhood. The show began in December.
“This was actually something that the town council had come up with as well as my boss, Pete Fasciano, the Executive Director of Franklin TV, says Manxhari. “What they wanted was a way for people to get the information on what’s going on in Franklin, and get the information on TV. The idea was to encourage Franklin residents to get their news on Franklin locally, from within the town, rather than hear about it through outside sources, she says.
Manxhari says she hopes to create something that’s both entertaining, but still newsworthy, with “that ‘Chronicle’ feel,” she says.
The new show host had no experience working in broadcasting before Franklin TV. A 2013 graduate of Northeastern University with an undergraduate degree in Psychology, Manxhari, who lives in Holden, Mass., and emigrated to the United States from Albania when she was just 5-years-old, says people have often approached her since she was a teen as having a great voice for radio or television. In 2015, Manxhari won the title of Miss Massachusetts USA.
Along with the title came appearances and some advertising spots, and Manxhari noticed that her interview would be aired more often than some of the others. Following the competition, she was approached by an executive producer of IMG who suggested she seriously consider broadcasting. Humbled at the opinion of such a high level professional, who offered a possible opportunity, Manxhari considered the request, but the opportunity fell through. Undeterred, she says she was still motivated to make a go of it.
“When the opportunity fell through, I thought, okay, it’s just going to be that much harder. I just looked at various places in Massachusetts, sent in my resume and any footage I had of me speaking, and Franklin TV reached back out to me. I thought, this will be fun and exciting. We’ll see what happens!”
Now, she says, she has just been doing a lot of learning about what Franklin has to offer. She has spent the last month, she says, connecting with people, and learning how to edit.
“My hope for the show is for everyone in Franklin to know what it is. People can watch it on Franklin TV, and I wanted to push it, so people can now watch it on YouTube (under Franklin Almanac). The show is on the air Monday through Friday, (check Franklin TV at www.franklin.tv for the precise schedule), airing on Comcast 8 or Verizon 26.
Do you have an idea for the “Franklin Almanac?” Contact Polikseni Manxhari at [email protected].