Frankie Graziano
Host / Producer, The WheelhouseAs the host of The Wheelhouse on Connecticut Public, Frankie focuses on how local and national politics impact the people of Connecticut.
For more than 100 episodes, Graziano’s brought the politics to the people, tackling issues like the attempted erasure of transgender identity and attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The hallmark of The Wheelhouse’s run during Graziano’s tenure as host was election coverage in 2024. The team, which includes producer Chloe Wynne and deputy director of storytelling at Connecticut Public Robyn Doyon-Aitken, responded to breaking developments out of Washington D.C., launched an open-ended survey to reach its audience, held forums to introduce candidates to the people, and broadcast live on Election Night and The Morning After.
CT Public’s newest iteration of The Wheelhouse debuted on March 22, 2023, marking the latest evolution in Graziano’s career in broadcast journalism.
It began in production when Connecticut Public hired Graziano to launch its new sports network in 2011. He produced over 1,000 hours of content for CPTV Sports until 2016, when he moved from public television to public radio. After crafting a public radio sports beat, he worked with leadership in 2017 to develop breaking news coverage at Connecticut Public. Graziano followed police reform efforts, chased politicians around, and broke national news.
Graziano’s entrée into political coverage was cemented in 2022 after hosting a series of debate recaps on television and several roundtables on local government.
His entire career–and his entire life– have unfolded in Connecticut. Graziano lives with his wife Colleen, a nurse practitioner, in Glastonbury. They’ve got two kids—Charlie and Annie.
Graziano, a UConn grad, is originally from Torrington. He’s a first-generation Italian-American—his parents Rosie and Franco were born in Italia.
-
Inside the legislative effort to keep cell phones out of Connecticut classrooms – a ban Gov. Ned Lamont wants to see happen from “bell-to-bell.” -
Speaker of the House Matt Ritter and House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora preview how state lawmakers will work together to address federal funding cuts in the 2026 Connecticut legislative session. -
“Suffs,” the Tony-Award winning Broadway play celebrating the American women who fought for voting rights, runs in Hartford Jan. 27 through Feb. 1. -
As Americans and ICE agents clash, government accountability and transparency might be harder to come by. -
As America marks 40 years of observing Martin Luther King Day, the Wheelhouse looks at how the current Republican administration in Washington is marking the holiday and what that means for Black history. -
2026 grads seeking professional degrees face capped loans due to funding cuts in the federal Republican tax and spending plan. -
Before we say ‘Happy New Year’, the Wheelhouse team reviews some of the major themes that bubbled up in 2025’s political rhetoric – including politically-targeted violence, the party leanings of Generation Z, and the messages inside Bad Bunny’s music. -
Connecticut calls itself the “Constitution State,” but why? We trace the nickname back to the 1600s and explore the historical claim that Connecticut wrote the first constitution in U.S. history. -
Free speech is in focus at this year’s Wheelhouse Live event amid significant shifts in the world of broadcast media. If free press is the cornerstone of American Democracy, what do the Trump administration’s attacks on late night TV hosts – and Congress’ claw back of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting – tell us about the future of American politics and pop culture? -
Free speech is in focus at this year’s Wheelhouse Live event amid significant shifts in the world of broadcast media. If free press is the cornerstone of American Democracy, what do the Trump administration’s attacks on late night TV hosts – and Congress’ claw back of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting – tell us about the future of American politics and pop culture?
