by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
FCC Amends Closed Captioning Rules for Video Programmers – Docket No: 05-23125-133: Closed Captioning of Video Programming; Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. Petition for Rulemaking; Delete, Delete, Delete Proceedings
From: Mike Wassenaar, President Alliance for Community Media (ACM) & National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA)
In 2016, the ACM asked the FCC to waive closed captioning registration rules for public, educational, and governmental access (PEG) program producers. On August 26, 2026, this request was granted.
The FCC agreed with this decade-long crusade by releasing a Report and Order that amended its registration and certification closed captioning requirements to alleviate obligations for providers of PEG programming and providers of programming carried on nonbroadcast networks. The Report, when published in the Federal Register, will go into effect in 30 days.
In some trade magazines, there have been headlines that say the FCC has lifted captioning requirements for cable channels. This is not in fact the case. What they have done is lifted the registration requirements for video producers on PEG channels that are exempt from FCC captioning rules.
So what this means is, probably at the end of this calendar year, a simple registration process system will be set up for any cable channel in the United States to get a FCC registration number, and then state whether or not they are an exempt channel or not based upon the captioning rules that exist for the FCC.
Individual local government, educational, and nonprofit operated channels are probably exempt from the FCC’s captioning rules that were set in 1998.
The order from 2016 says that there is a deadline for registering and that each cable channel in the United States should keep a point of contact in case there are consumer complaints, which is actually a useful resource if residents are questioning why videos don’t have captions or if they have problems with the captions that the station is providing. This clarity and point of contact speeds up the process of resolving conflict and actually helps residents understand what is going on with local channels and the community.
https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-amends-closed-captioning-rules-video-programmers
Statement of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr:
Back in 2016, stakeholders asked the FCC to streamline closed captioning registration and certification requirements for producers that provide programs exclusively to public, educational, and governmental access (PEG) channels. At the time, they raised concerns that requiring volunteers and community groups – such as Cub Scouts or gospel choirs – that were exempt from captioning rules to comply with those underlying obligations was both burdensome and needless. Stakeholders also asked the FCC to relieve program owners from compliance with captioning rules when their programs on linear networks were distributed by MVPDs, since the network already certifies compliance.
In the agency’s Delete, Delete, Delete proceeding, commenters raised these concerns again. And today, 10 years later, we finally take action. We have voted to eliminate these unnecessarily duplicative requirements, saving hundreds of thousands of programmers a total of nearly $2.5 million annually in needless regulatory costs. We’ve concluded from the record that this action would have no negative impact on captioning availability or quality. This item continues the Commission’s work to eliminate outdated rules and minimize duplicative obligations that provide no consumer benefit.
Thank you to staff for their hard work on this item, including Eduard Bartholme, Lisa Edwards, Robert Aldrich, Suzy Rosen Singleton, Michael Scott, Joshua Mendelsohn, and Ike Ofobike, as well as staff from the Offices of Communications Business Opportunities, Economics and Analytics, Enforcement Bureau, General Counsel, and Media Bureau.
Self Implementing Exemptions:
https://www.fcc.gov/general/self-implementing-exemptions-closed-captioning-rules
Closed Captioning Rules Section 79.1(d) of the Commission’s rules contains several exemptions to the closed captioning rules. These are self-implementing exemptions, meaning that a provider does not need to seek Commission approval of the claimed exemption. As such, the Commission does not “certify” that a provider falls within a self-implementing exemption.
If a program or provider does not meet the criteria for one of these self-implementing exemptions and it would be economically burdensome to close caption, Section 79.1(f) outlines the process for seeking an exemption on this basis.
For purposes of determining compliance with Section 79.1, any video programming provider that meets one or more of the following criteria shall be exempt to the extent specified.
(1) Programming subject to contractual captioning restrictions. Video programming that is subject to a contract in effect on or before February 8, 1996, but not any extension or renewal of such contract, for which an obligation to provide closed captioning would constitute a breach of contract.
(2) Video programming or video programming provider for which the captioning requirement has been waived. Any video programming or video programming provider for which the Commission has determined that a requirement for closed captioning is economically burdensome on the basis of a petition for exemption filed in accordance with the procedures specified in paragraph (f) of this section.
(3) Programming other than English or Spanish language. All programming for which the audio is in a language other than English or Spanish, except that scripted programming that can be captioned using the “electronic news room” technique, is not exempt.
(4) Primarily textual programming. Video programming or portions of video programming for which the content of the soundtrack is displayed visually through text or graphics (e.g., program schedule channels or community bulletin boards).
(5) Programming distributed in the late night hours. Programming that is being distributed to residential households between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. local time. Video programming distributors providing a channel that consists of a service that is distributed and exhibited for viewing in more than a single time zone shall be exempt from closed captioning that service for any continuous 4 hour time period they may select, commencing not earlier than 12 a.m. local time and ending not later than 7 a.m. local time in any location where that service is intended for viewing. This exemption is to be determined based on the primary reception locations and remains applicable even if the transmission is accessible and distributed or exhibited in other time zones on a secondary basis. Video programming distributors providing service outside of the 48 contiguous states may treat as exempt programming that is exempt under this paragraph when distributed in the contiguous states.
(6) Interstitials, promotional announcements and public service announcements. Interstitial material, promotional announcements, and public service announcements that are 10 minutes or less in duration.
(7) EBS programming. Video programming transmitted by Educational Broadband Service licensee pursuant to Part 27 of this Chapter.
(8) Locally produced and distributed non-news programming with no repeat value. Programming that is locally produced by the video programming distributor, has no repeat value, is of local public interest, is not news programming, and for which the “electronic news room” technique of captioning is unavailable.
(See ¶ 158 of 1997 R&O and ¶¶ 57-61 of 1998 Recon Order.)
(9) Programming on new networks. Programming on a video programming network for the first four years after it begins operation, except that programming on a video programming network that was in operation less than four (4) years on January 1, 1998 is exempt until January 1, 2002.
(10) Primarily non-vocal musical programming. Programming that consists primarily of non-vocal music.
(11) Captioning expense in excess of 2% of gross revenues. No video programming provider shall be required to expend any money to caption any video programming if such expenditure would exceed 2% of the gross revenues received from that channel during the previous calendar year.
(12) Channels producing revenues of under $3,000,000. No video programming provider shall be required to expend any money to caption any channel of video programming producing annual gross revenues of less than $3,000,000 during the previous calendar year other than the obligation to pass through video programming already captioned when received pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section.
(13) Locally produced educational programming. Instructional programming that is locally produced by public television stations for use in grades K-12 and post secondary schools.
For the most recent revisions, please visit the eCFR.
Even if a program or a provider is exempt under the Commission’s rules, it may still have obligations under other federal laws to make its video programming accessible to individuals with disabilities. The ADA rules apply to just about everyone and to PEG channels.
There’s a process by which you, whether a nonprofit or a local government, can determine whether or not captioning or other assistive technology is an undue burden or changes the nature of your service. But those are ADA standards and questions about implementing ADA has nothing to do with the FCC.
Please contact us if you are in need of any further information:
Mike Wassenaar, President
Alliance for Community Media
mwassenaar@allcommunitymedia.org
David Garb, Legislative Chair
Jersey Access Group
davegarb@paps.net
Calling on Advocates to Respond to FCC’s Proposed Throttling of E-Rate
From: Lisa Peet, Executive Editor for Library Journal; Joseph Wender, Executive Director, The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition; and the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society
Library Journal:
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has published its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register, calling for a major review of the E-Rate program.
E-Rate, under which eligible schools, libraries, and consortia may apply for discounted telecommunications, internet access, and internal connections services, was established under the Telecommunications Act of 1996. It has become a lifeline to libraries of all sizes, across all regions of the United States, serving a widely diverse range of communities—especially rural, small, and Tribal libraries.
The NPRM, originally released by the FCC on June 26, poses questions as to whether E-Rate should be scaled back, narrowed in scope, or terminated entirely, weighing factors that include nationwide increases in connectivity rates over the program’s 30 years and concerns about excessive screen time among young people.
(SHLB) – How the E-Rate Program Works:
E-Rate lowers the cost of the broadband, internet, and internal network services that schools and libraries buy. The support arrives as a discount on those specific purchases.
The discount is based on need. Schools and libraries serving more low-income communities receive larger discounts, ranging from 20% to 90% of eligible costs.
Funding covers only eligible services and equipment, and applicants must run a competitive bidding process to select their providers. The competitive bidding process ensures that cost is the primary factor in applicants’ choice of provider.
E-Rate does not pay for laptops, tablets, software, or digital content. The program supports connectivity and the network that carries it.
The program operates under an annual spending cap, and participants are subject to audits and oversight.
E-Rate supports more than 100,000 schools and roughly 11,000 libraries across the country, providing approximately $3 billion in discounts every year.
Benton Institute – So What Happens If E-Rate Goes Away?
Schools and libraries would have to absorb the full cost of their internet service. For institutions already working with tight budgets, that money has to come from somewhere. That money comes out of staff and program budgets that make a school or library more than a building.
The deepest harms fall on the students who can least afford it since E-Rate discounts are tied to need. Schools and libraries in lower-income communities receive the largest discounts, which is a focus of the universal service program. Pull that funding, and the digital divide between well-resourced districts and struggling ones grows. The communities that depend most on E-Rate are the ones that would suffer the greatest.
The FCC also asks whether E-Rate support should be limited to rural areas. Universal service should not draw a distinction between a disadvantaged child in a rural town and a disadvantaged child in a city. Congress did not write that difference into the law, and there is no reason to invent it now.
It is also worth remembering that E-Rate does not stand alone. It is one of four programs funded through the Universal Service Fund, and those programs reinforce one another. Weakening E-Rate weakens the entire system that brings affordable connections to schools, libraries, rural and urban communities, low-income families, and health care providers. A threat to one is a threat to all.
Library Journal:
The NPRM, originally released by the FCC on June 26, poses questions as to whether E-Rate should be scaled back, narrowed in scope, or terminated entirely, weighing factors that include nationwide increases in connectivity rates over the program’s 30 years, concerns about excessive screen time among young people, and interpretations of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA).
A companion Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) proposes stricter oversight on third-party consultants and more streamlined administration of the program’s funds.
All libraries, schools, and community stakeholders are strongly urged to respond to the NPRM. Initial comments are due on or before midnight Eastern time on October 13; responses to those comments are due by November 12.
The Jersey Access Group has been representing the interests of municipal and community media in both Trenton and Washington, DC for over 25 years. The Legislative Committee keeps a watchful eye on bills and actions that may affect the interests and needs of our diverse communities. This includes analyzing and addressing emerging developments and changes in the telecommunication industry that could be an issue for our operations, and that of our local municipalities.
JAG’s efforts on behalf of our members and the residents of New Jersey have never been more important!
News & Events
Posted: October 17, 2026 by Rich Desimone
Legislative Updates from Trenton and Washington, D.C.: FCC and ADA Accessibility Requirements
by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
Update: FCC Amends Closed Captioning Rules for Video Programmers – Docket No: 05-23125-133: Closed Captioning of Video Programming
But ADA Rules Still Apply
From: Mike Wassenaar, President Alliance for Community Media (ACM) & National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA)
Last month, we shared an article about the FCC’s amendments to certain closed-captioning rules. These changes have raised questions about how the updated FCC requirements affect municipalities and public, educational, and governmental (PEG) access stations—and what they mean for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The FCC has lifted the registration requirements for video producers on PEG channels who seek to be exempt from FCC captioning rules. Previously, the FCC stated that there was a deadline for registering and that each cable channel in the United States should keep a point of contact in case there are consumer complaints. In the future, they will most likely set up a simple registration process to get a FCC registration number, and then, ask channels to state whether or not they are exempt based upon the captioning rules that exist for the FCC.
But even if a program or a provider is exempt under these amended FCC rules, they may still have obligations under other federal laws (DOJ) to make your video programming accessible to individuals with disabilities. The ADA rules apply to just about everyone and to PEG channels.
We recommend that everyone should determine the costs for compliance and plan either to meet the standards for online presence or to make the case that compliance with one or more elements presents an undue burden. In either case, decision makers with local government need to be involved.
Beginning on April 26, 2027, any video that is on government websites or anywhere on the web (VOD), in jurisdictions serving more than 50K residents, has to be ADA compliant by providing online communications that meet a minimum WCAG standards, and a descriptive audio track for pre-recorded video that will also be aired online. These rules will also apply to all government websites with less than 50,000 residents beginning April 26, 2028.
Regardless of the Federal Government’s enforcement of the ADA, these rules can be enforced through private legal action. So local governments and non-profits would be subject to legal liability if they fail to act appropriately.
Most organizations are not exempt from ADA requirements, which require all non-profits and local governments to assess the costs of providing effective communication for constituents. Solutions must be based on what constituents need.
Once again, organizations may not be required to provide that service if it fundamentally changes what the organization does, or it presents an undue economic burden. Guidelines are at https://www.ada.gov/resources/effective-communication/.
If you provide captions, but they are not transmitted by a cable operator on your channels, tell the FCC as this is against the law. Email dro@fcc.org or use the link https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/closed-captioning-television.
Mike Wassenaar, President
Alliance for Community Media
mwassenaar@allcommunitymedia.org
David Garb, Legislative Chair
Jersey Access Group
davegarb@paps.net
Posted: October 17, 2026 by Rich Desimone
Who Will Run Community Television Tomorrow?
by John C. Morley, Video Producer and Engineer
Community television has always depended on more than cameras, production equipment, and broadcast technology. Behind every municipal meeting, local interview, school concert, and community celebration are people who can turn an idea into a finished production. Some are experienced station managers, engineers, and producers, while others are students, municipal employees, and dedicated volunteers who contribute their time and expertise.
As experienced personnel approach retirement, volunteer availability shifts, and younger generations develop different expectations for media production, community television stations face a key question: Who will operate these facilities, produce programming, maintain equipment, and train new participants in the years ahead?
The future of community television will depend not only on technological investments but also on developing the people who make local programming possible.
1. The People Behind the Programming
Community television stations often operate with small teams responsible for a wide range of activities. One employee may coordinate programming schedules, maintain equipment, troubleshoot technical problems, supervise government meeting coverage, and train volunteers. This resourcefulness allows stations to accomplish a great deal with limited resources, but it can also create operational vulnerabilities when critical knowledge is concentrated among a few individuals.
A longtime technical director may understand every aspect of a facility’s signal path, while an experienced producer may possess extensive knowledge of camera operation, audio mixing, editing, and production procedures. When these individuals leave without transferring their expertise, stations can lose capabilities that are difficult to replace.
Station leadership should therefore consider how institutional knowledge is shared throughout the organization. Documenting procedures, maintaining accurate technical records, and ensuring multiple people are familiar with essential systems can reduce dependence on individual employees while strengthening daily operations.
2. Bringing the Next Generation into Community Television
Many younger people already have experience recording, editing, and distributing video through smartphones, social media, and online platforms. However, creating independent digital content differs considerably from participating in a coordinated television production involving multiple cameras, professional audio systems, lighting, graphics, switching, and program distribution.
Community television stations can bridge this gap through partnerships with high schools, colleges, universities, libraries, and community organizations. Internships, supervised productions, workshops, and collaborative projects can introduce participants to practical television production skills while demonstrating the importance of locally produced programming.
Meaningful participation is essential. A student who learns to frame a camera shot, operate a production switcher, monitor audio levels, or assist with a live municipal meeting gains experience that extends beyond casual video creation. These opportunities also build teamwork, communication, and an understanding of the public-service responsibilities that come with community media.
By providing constructive feedback, accessible training, and opportunities for creative involvement, stations can build relationships with individuals who may eventually become experienced volunteers, producers, employees, or community media advocates.
3. Turning Experience into Lasting Knowledge
Recruitment alone will not ensure community television’s future. Stations must also establish effective ways to transfer knowledge from experienced personnel to those who will eventually assume their responsibilities. Technical expertise often develops over years of hands-on experience, especially when troubleshooting equipment failures, managing live productions, maintaining signal distribution systems, and solving unexpected operational challenges.
Structured mentoring can preserve that expertise while helping newer participants build confidence. Rather than expecting someone to understand an entire production facility immediately, stations can introduce responsibilities progressively, starting with equipment preparation and camera operation before moving on to audio mixing, technical directing, recording systems, and more complex production assignments.
Cross-training is especially valuable in smaller facilities where employees and volunteers often fill multiple roles. A camera operator who understands basic audio principles becomes a more versatile crewmember, while a producer familiar with recording and playback systems can communicate more effectively with technical staff.
Keeping equipment documentation, production checklists, training materials, and operational diagrams up to date also helps preserve continuity when personnel change. Knowledge transfer should become part of routine station operations rather than an activity initiated only when an experienced employee announces retirement.
4. Building a Future That People Want to Be Part Of
The long-term sustainability of community television depends on creating an environment where participation is meaningful, accessible, and connected to community interests. Traditional programming, including government meetings, educational events, and public affairs discussions, remains important, but stations can also encourage projects that reflect new perspectives and creative approaches.
Student-produced interviews, local documentaries, cultural programming, community profiles, and collaborative productions can introduce fresh ideas while maintaining the station’s commitment to public service. Clear orientation procedures, practical equipment training, flexible volunteer opportunities, and consistent communication can also make participation more welcoming.
Station leaders should recognize that volunteers have different schedules, abilities, and experience levels. Offering opportunities for continued learning and acknowledging individual contributions can encourage participants to stay involved and take on greater responsibilities over time.
Ultimately, community television must balance the knowledge and traditions that have supported local programming for decades with an openness to new technologies, ideas, and contributors. Experienced professionals provide an essential foundation, but long-term success requires preparing others to build upon that experience.
As stations evaluate equipment needs, programming strategies, and future budgets, they should give volunteer development and workforce training equal consideration. A technically capable facility is only as effective as the people who know how to operate it.
The most important question may not be what equipment our stations will be using ten years from now, but who we are preparing today to operate it, maintain it, and carry the mission of community television forward.
Posted: October 17, 2026 by Rich Desimone
OBTV, Reimagining the Possibilities, One Upgrade at a Time
by Aime Alonzo, J.D. (She/Her) Executive Assistant to the BA, OBTV and Digital Content D/P
Hello JAG colleagues and friends. I have always felt energized to read about the innovative upgrades and programs happening at other stations. There is nothing more thrilling and inspiring than seeing what is possible and imagining how those ideas might spark new opportunities for all our work. I remember reading similar JAG articles about other stations and feeling my creativity come alive with each example. My hope is that this article does the same for you. I hope you feel encouraged to come up with new ideas and that you are reminded of the exciting potential within reach for each of our stations.
OBTV has been working on several projects. Because our studio is small, we do what we can to make the most of the space. For years, in the studio, we used large and very hot lights, but they were no longer meeting our needs. We upgraded our lights to smaller cooler LED lights manufactured in Italy. This change in lighting also allowed us to create new set designs and use more of our space.
The project began long before we placed our order in August of 2025. However, we experienced several delays, from manufacturing delays and tariff related uncertainty to the unexpected challenge of our public works department no longer being available to help with the electrical installation, which required us to hire a licensed electrician instead. But once the lights were finally installed in the spring of 2026, the transformation was evident. The studio feels larger and it stays much cooler. The updated lighting allows us to make better use of our space by incorporating two additional background options. We also added more lighting in the council chamber to enhance the look and quality of our broadcasts.
We upgraded our video control panel and worked on upgrading our audio system. But, alas, there’s always a challenge. The audio system was installed before my time and the company that installed it is no longer in business. So, the search began for a company that could help us without having to spend a lot of money reconfiguring the entire system. We were fortunate to find a company that knew some of the folks who originally worked on our audio system. During this process, we added two more microphones in the council chamber, we reconfigured the audio outputs for the municipal court, upgraded some of the HDMI ports, and we are in the process of installing a Wi-Fi based Assistive Listening System (ALS) so that our residents can hear the meetings better when they attend in person. I continue working to ensure that we remain ADA compliant. There are many stakeholders involved in this effort and navigating all the requirements can be challenging. It’s an ongoing process but we are making steady progress.
Amid all these upgrades, we continued producing new episodes of our programs and covered township events. Our program “Spotlight on Old Bridge” is the result of strong partnerships with the businesses in our community, and its goal is to remind residents that everything they may need can be found right here in town. It’s a more personal way to highlight local businesses and encourage everyone to shop locally.
We also continued our collaboration with Hackensack Meridian Old Bridge Medical Center. Together, we produce a monthly program that covers important topics such as heart health, weight loss, colon cancer awareness, mental health, and stroke prevention. Nearly a year ago, I was asked to step into the role of host, and since then we’ve shifted much of the filming from the hospital to our studio. This allows us to create a more inviting and consistent production.
We believe our residents are truly remarkable, which inspired me to launch a new program called “Made in Old Bridge.” This program highlights the amazing people who make our community so special. Our first guest was a high school student whose short film was accepted into the Garden State Film Festival. Our second guest was a first-time author who began writing his story decades ago but due to family responsibilities had to wait until recently to finish it and publish it. We’re already working on our next episode as I write this. I created this show to encourage people to reach for their dreams no matter where they are starting from. I believe that anything is possible if you just start.
Overall, these projects and experiences have been very rewarding. I encourage everyone to think outside the box about how to make your spaces more versatile and to develop programming that speaks to the community you serve. Talk to your residents whenever you can and you will be surprised by the ideas that surface.
Our station is probably one of the smallest, with just two of us on staff. I manage all administrative responsibilities, including budgets and contracts, while directing, producing, script writing, camera work, and engaging with the public. My teammate handles camera work and editing. Aside from the help we receive from interns in the summer, every program you see on our channel is produced by the two of us.
It is always encouraging to know there are people who understand the unique challenges we face and are willing to share insight and support. So if anyone has any questions or would like to connect, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Happy filming everyone!
Posted: October 17, 2026 by Rich Desimone
Gear Up for the 2027 JAG Awards
by Connor Cheung, JAG Awards Committee, Chair
As we dive deeper into the fall production season, the JAG Awards Committee is already hard at work laying the groundwork for an incredible 2027 program. Our recent committee meeting focused entirely on streamlining the process, making it easier for stations to participate, and getting a head start so everyone can avoid the usual spring scramble.
Important Dates and Timeline
To ensure a smoother rollout and take the stress off stations and judges alike, we’ve tightened up the schedule for 2027:
Categories and Potential Expansions
We are currently reviewing our categories to make sure all of your hard work fits properly. During our recent discussions, the committee explored several new category suggestions brought forward by members—including Best Shorts, Best Variety Show, Best Multi-Camera Graduation, Best History Program, Best Mental and Medical Program, Best Drone Video, Children’s Programming, and Governmental Shows. While these specific new categories are still being evaluated for future cycles, reviewing them has helped us look closely at how we can better present the diverse programming across our network.
Get Involved: Committee Members and Volunteers
Running a successful awards program takes a team, and we are actively looking for members who want to get involved. If you’re interested in helping shape the future of the awards, joining our discussions, or helping us streamline the process, we’d love to have you on board. Please contact Connor Cheung at CCheung@eastbrunswick.org if you are interested in joining the community, and we will get the Zoom link over to you for our next session.
Our next committee meeting is coming up on October 19th at 10:00 AM on Zoom, where we will be finalizing our remaining officer elections (Vice Chair and Secretary) and locking down our final rules and registration forms for 2027.
Keep an eye on the website and upcoming monthly newsletters for all the latest updates as we get closer to January. Let’s make the 2027 JAG Awards our best-run and most celebratory season yet!
Posted: October 17, 2026 by Rich Desimone
Your Conference. Your Ideas. Your Voice.
by Bob Duthaler, Conference Committee, Chair
Help Us Shape the JAG Conference 2027!
Planning is already underway for the JAG Conference 2027, and this year we want you to help us build the conference.
The JAG Conference brings together community media professionals, municipal television stations, producers, engineers, government officials, educators, technology experts, manufacturers, vendors and others working throughout the PEG and community media industry.
But before we finalize the 2027 program, we want to hear from you.
What Do You Want to See In 2027?
We’re looking for your ideas for:
Tell us what you want to explore—from production and station management to streaming, AI, accessibility, social media, emerging technology, programming, government communications and the future of PEG.
What equipment, software, workflows or production techniques would you like to see demonstrated?
Who do you want to see in the JAG Exhibit Hall? Tell us which manufacturers, technology companies, integrators and service providers you want the opportunity to meet.
Is there someone you think the JAG community needs to hear from? Send us your suggestions.
Have an idea for something completely different? We want to hear that too!
Help Us Build Your 2027 JAG Conference
The best conference is one that addresses the issues, technology and opportunities that matter most to the people attending it.
So, tell us what you want from JAG Conference 2027. Reach out to Bob Duthaler, Conference Chair to share your thoughts, ideas or join the committee: bduthaler@jagonline.org
Share Your Ideas Today! Take the Survey Now!
Thanks,
JAG Conference 2027
May 12–13, 2027
Crowne Plaza Hotel • Edison, NJ
Two Days. New Ideas. New Technology. New Connections.
Your Voice Will Help Shape JAG 2027.
Posted: October 17, 2026 by Rich Desimone
The League of Municipalities Conference and JAG: Perfect Together
by Geoffrey Belinfante, External Relations Committee, Chair
Once again, this year, JAG will have a presence at the New Jersey League of Municipalities Conference in Atlantic City from November 17th through November 19th. Our attendance there includes a booth on the convention floor and the sponsorship of two workshops that are presented jointly with the endorsement of the League.
We find our presence at the Conference truly important to the image of JAG and affects the way we are perceived in the state. Most municipalities are members of the League and, by appearing at their convention and presenting workshops that are jointly sponsored with the League, JAG helps solidify its responsibility as an organization with expertise on matters that pertain to municipalities and their relationships with cable operators, wireless carriers, large telecoms and the legislators in Trenton and Washington.
Our first workshop concerns the ongoing issue of Closed Captioning. Although the dates for compliance have been delayed for a year or two depending on the size of the municipality, this is an issue that involves many municipal employees including IT professionals, Public Information Officers, and Senior Services coordinators just to name a few. Noncompliance is not an option and, as the time grows closer, many questions about what is required still remain unclear, particularly when it comes to what needs to be captioned from your archives and what is required when it comes to the audio descriptions of programs.
This workshop will offer the latest information coming from Washington regarding many of the unintended consequences of this well-meaning legislation. This workshop features past JAG president and the station manager of our JAG affiliate in Bloomfield, WBMA-TV, Bob Duthaler and JAG’s Washington Attorney, Gerry Leaderer. It takes place at 2:00pm on Tuesday November 17th in rooms 405/406 at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Please let the appropriate people who are attending from your town know about this workshop.
Our second workshop deals with the federal government’s attempt to usurp the rights of local municipalities to regulate their own rights of way. This is an obvious attempt to undercut local controls that have traditionally fallen to municipalities. This includes the ability of towns to regulate what goes on the poles along their roadways and the fees that telecommunication companies pay for the right to use those poles. Clearly, this is an assault from Washington on fees that help support Municipalities and, in many cases, a portion of those fees are used to support the stations that make up JAG’s membership.
Hosted by our own president Doug Seidel and featuring our JAG Washington Attorney, Gerry Leaderer, and Piscataway Mayor, Brian Wahler, this important workshop will take place at 10:45am on Wednesday, November 14th in Room 316 at the Atlantic City Convention Center. As with our Closed Captioning workshop, we would ask you or any member of your municipal staff attending the conference to consider joining us at this important session.
While our role in presenting workshops at the conference seems obvious in terms of our mission, we are also pleased to once again have a booth on the floor of the convention. Our booth provides us with three opportunities. First, it serves to remind all attendees of our importance as a resource for municipalities—no matter their size. Second, it provides us with a chance to meet and greet the mayors and council members from the communities who are already JAG members, and finally, it allows us to pitch membership to communities who are looking to improve their communications to their residents. Over the years, the messaging has changed. It used to be that we would promote the establishment of a cable channel, and, while this is still something we can facilitate, today, we recognize that there are less expensive streaming options available via the internet and/or streaming platforms that can fulfill the needs of smaller municipalities. We will be in booth 256 on the convention floor, November 17th & 18th 9:00am-5:00pm, and November 19th 9:00am-12:00pm and once again we would encourage anyone who may be attending to drop by and say hello.
Posted: September 20, 2026 by Rich Desimone
Looking Ahead to the 2027 JAG Awards: Time to Start Capturing!
by Connor Cheung, JAG Awards Committee, Chair
With the summer wrapping up and a brand-new production season officially underway, it’s time to turn our attention toward the 2027 JAG Awards.
While May might feel like a long way off, we all know how fast a year moves in local media. Between town council meetings, community events, high school sports games, and creative studio shows, your cameras are already rolling on the exact kind of work that defines our local programming.
Now is the ideal time to start keeping a running tab of your best pieces. We’ve all been there—scrambling through hard drives and archives right before the deadline trying to remember which episode featured that great interview or which game had the buzzer-beater finish. By keeping the awards categories in the back of your mind as you edit throughout the fall and winter, you can save yourself a massive headache down the road. Just flag those standout projects as you go.
We’re also taking the feedback from this past year’s evaluation sheets to heart. The committee is working on streamlining the submission process and ironing out category details to make entering smoother and more straightforward than ever. We want to make sure the focus stays entirely on celebrating the incredible stories you bring to life every single week.
Keep an eye out for updates, category announcements, and official timeline guidelines in the upcoming newsletters. If your station has any special series or new local programming launching this fall, definitely make sure it’s on your radar to submit.
Local access television continues to prove just how essential it is for keeping our neighborhoods connected, informed, and entertained. Keep up the fantastic work out there in the field, start saving those clips, and let’s make the 2027 season our best one yet!
The JAG Awards will be held on May 12, 2027 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Edison, NJ as part of the JAG’s Annual Conference.
Posted: September 20, 2026 by Rich Desimone
News from Trenton & Washington, DC and FCC Legislation Changes
by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
FCC Amends Closed Captioning Rules for Video Programmers – Docket No: 05-23125-133: Closed Captioning of Video Programming; Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. Petition for Rulemaking; Delete, Delete, Delete Proceedings
From: Mike Wassenaar, President Alliance for Community Media (ACM) & National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA)
In 2016, the ACM asked the FCC to waive closed captioning registration rules for public, educational, and governmental access (PEG) program producers. On August 26, 2026, this request was granted.
The FCC agreed with this decade-long crusade by releasing a Report and Order that amended its registration and certification closed captioning requirements to alleviate obligations for providers of PEG programming and providers of programming carried on nonbroadcast networks. The Report, when published in the Federal Register, will go into effect in 30 days.
In some trade magazines, there have been headlines that say the FCC has lifted captioning requirements for cable channels. This is not in fact the case. What they have done is lifted the registration requirements for video producers on PEG channels that are exempt from FCC captioning rules.
So what this means is, probably at the end of this calendar year, a simple registration process system will be set up for any cable channel in the United States to get a FCC registration number, and then state whether or not they are an exempt channel or not based upon the captioning rules that exist for the FCC.
Individual local government, educational, and nonprofit operated channels are probably exempt from the FCC’s captioning rules that were set in 1998.
The order from 2016 says that there is a deadline for registering and that each cable channel in the United States should keep a point of contact in case there are consumer complaints, which is actually a useful resource if residents are questioning why videos don’t have captions or if they have problems with the captions that the station is providing. This clarity and point of contact speeds up the process of resolving conflict and actually helps residents understand what is going on with local channels and the community.
https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-amends-closed-captioning-rules-video-programmers
Statement of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr:
Back in 2016, stakeholders asked the FCC to streamline closed captioning registration and certification requirements for producers that provide programs exclusively to public, educational, and governmental access (PEG) channels. At the time, they raised concerns that requiring volunteers and community groups – such as Cub Scouts or gospel choirs – that were exempt from captioning rules to comply with those underlying obligations was both burdensome and needless. Stakeholders also asked the FCC to relieve program owners from compliance with captioning rules when their programs on linear networks were distributed by MVPDs, since the network already certifies compliance.
In the agency’s Delete, Delete, Delete proceeding, commenters raised these concerns again. And today, 10 years later, we finally take action. We have voted to eliminate these unnecessarily duplicative requirements, saving hundreds of thousands of programmers a total of nearly $2.5 million annually in needless regulatory costs. We’ve concluded from the record that this action would have no negative impact on captioning availability or quality. This item continues the Commission’s work to eliminate outdated rules and minimize duplicative obligations that provide no consumer benefit.
Thank you to staff for their hard work on this item, including Eduard Bartholme, Lisa Edwards, Robert Aldrich, Suzy Rosen Singleton, Michael Scott, Joshua Mendelsohn, and Ike Ofobike, as well as staff from the Offices of Communications Business Opportunities, Economics and Analytics, Enforcement Bureau, General Counsel, and Media Bureau.
Self Implementing Exemptions:
https://www.fcc.gov/general/self-implementing-exemptions-closed-captioning-rules
Closed Captioning Rules Section 79.1(d) of the Commission’s rules contains several exemptions to the closed captioning rules. These are self-implementing exemptions, meaning that a provider does not need to seek Commission approval of the claimed exemption. As such, the Commission does not “certify” that a provider falls within a self-implementing exemption.
If a program or provider does not meet the criteria for one of these self-implementing exemptions and it would be economically burdensome to close caption, Section 79.1(f) outlines the process for seeking an exemption on this basis.
For purposes of determining compliance with Section 79.1, any video programming provider that meets one or more of the following criteria shall be exempt to the extent specified.
(1) Programming subject to contractual captioning restrictions. Video programming that is subject to a contract in effect on or before February 8, 1996, but not any extension or renewal of such contract, for which an obligation to provide closed captioning would constitute a breach of contract.
(2) Video programming or video programming provider for which the captioning requirement has been waived. Any video programming or video programming provider for which the Commission has determined that a requirement for closed captioning is economically burdensome on the basis of a petition for exemption filed in accordance with the procedures specified in paragraph (f) of this section.
(3) Programming other than English or Spanish language. All programming for which the audio is in a language other than English or Spanish, except that scripted programming that can be captioned using the “electronic news room” technique, is not exempt.
(4) Primarily textual programming. Video programming or portions of video programming for which the content of the soundtrack is displayed visually through text or graphics (e.g., program schedule channels or community bulletin boards).
(5) Programming distributed in the late night hours. Programming that is being distributed to residential households between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. local time. Video programming distributors providing a channel that consists of a service that is distributed and exhibited for viewing in more than a single time zone shall be exempt from closed captioning that service for any continuous 4 hour time period they may select, commencing not earlier than 12 a.m. local time and ending not later than 7 a.m. local time in any location where that service is intended for viewing. This exemption is to be determined based on the primary reception locations and remains applicable even if the transmission is accessible and distributed or exhibited in other time zones on a secondary basis. Video programming distributors providing service outside of the 48 contiguous states may treat as exempt programming that is exempt under this paragraph when distributed in the contiguous states.
(6) Interstitials, promotional announcements and public service announcements. Interstitial material, promotional announcements, and public service announcements that are 10 minutes or less in duration.
(7) EBS programming. Video programming transmitted by Educational Broadband Service licensee pursuant to Part 27 of this Chapter.
(8) Locally produced and distributed non-news programming with no repeat value. Programming that is locally produced by the video programming distributor, has no repeat value, is of local public interest, is not news programming, and for which the “electronic news room” technique of captioning is unavailable.
(See ¶ 158 of 1997 R&O and ¶¶ 57-61 of 1998 Recon Order.)
(9) Programming on new networks. Programming on a video programming network for the first four years after it begins operation, except that programming on a video programming network that was in operation less than four (4) years on January 1, 1998 is exempt until January 1, 2002.
(10) Primarily non-vocal musical programming. Programming that consists primarily of non-vocal music.
(11) Captioning expense in excess of 2% of gross revenues. No video programming provider shall be required to expend any money to caption any video programming if such expenditure would exceed 2% of the gross revenues received from that channel during the previous calendar year.
(12) Channels producing revenues of under $3,000,000. No video programming provider shall be required to expend any money to caption any channel of video programming producing annual gross revenues of less than $3,000,000 during the previous calendar year other than the obligation to pass through video programming already captioned when received pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section.
(13) Locally produced educational programming. Instructional programming that is locally produced by public television stations for use in grades K-12 and post secondary schools.
For the most recent revisions, please visit the eCFR.
Even if a program or a provider is exempt under the Commission’s rules, it may still have obligations under other federal laws to make its video programming accessible to individuals with disabilities. The ADA rules apply to just about everyone and to PEG channels.
There’s a process by which you, whether a nonprofit or a local government, can determine whether or not captioning or other assistive technology is an undue burden or changes the nature of your service. But those are ADA standards and questions about implementing ADA has nothing to do with the FCC.
Please contact us if you are in need of any further information:
Mike Wassenaar, President
Alliance for Community Media
mwassenaar@allcommunitymedia.org
David Garb, Legislative Chair
Jersey Access Group
davegarb@paps.net
Calling on Advocates to Respond to FCC’s Proposed Throttling of E-Rate
From: Lisa Peet, Executive Editor for Library Journal; Joseph Wender, Executive Director, The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition; and the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society
Library Journal:
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has published its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register, calling for a major review of the E-Rate program.
E-Rate, under which eligible schools, libraries, and consortia may apply for discounted telecommunications, internet access, and internal connections services, was established under the Telecommunications Act of 1996. It has become a lifeline to libraries of all sizes, across all regions of the United States, serving a widely diverse range of communities—especially rural, small, and Tribal libraries.
The NPRM, originally released by the FCC on June 26, poses questions as to whether E-Rate should be scaled back, narrowed in scope, or terminated entirely, weighing factors that include nationwide increases in connectivity rates over the program’s 30 years and concerns about excessive screen time among young people.
(SHLB) – How the E-Rate Program Works:
E-Rate lowers the cost of the broadband, internet, and internal network services that schools and libraries buy. The support arrives as a discount on those specific purchases.
The discount is based on need. Schools and libraries serving more low-income communities receive larger discounts, ranging from 20% to 90% of eligible costs.
Funding covers only eligible services and equipment, and applicants must run a competitive bidding process to select their providers. The competitive bidding process ensures that cost is the primary factor in applicants’ choice of provider.
E-Rate does not pay for laptops, tablets, software, or digital content. The program supports connectivity and the network that carries it.
The program operates under an annual spending cap, and participants are subject to audits and oversight.
E-Rate supports more than 100,000 schools and roughly 11,000 libraries across the country, providing approximately $3 billion in discounts every year.
Benton Institute – So What Happens If E-Rate Goes Away?
Schools and libraries would have to absorb the full cost of their internet service. For institutions already working with tight budgets, that money has to come from somewhere. That money comes out of staff and program budgets that make a school or library more than a building.
The deepest harms fall on the students who can least afford it since E-Rate discounts are tied to need. Schools and libraries in lower-income communities receive the largest discounts, which is a focus of the universal service program. Pull that funding, and the digital divide between well-resourced districts and struggling ones grows. The communities that depend most on E-Rate are the ones that would suffer the greatest.
The FCC also asks whether E-Rate support should be limited to rural areas. Universal service should not draw a distinction between a disadvantaged child in a rural town and a disadvantaged child in a city. Congress did not write that difference into the law, and there is no reason to invent it now.
It is also worth remembering that E-Rate does not stand alone. It is one of four programs funded through the Universal Service Fund, and those programs reinforce one another. Weakening E-Rate weakens the entire system that brings affordable connections to schools, libraries, rural and urban communities, low-income families, and health care providers. A threat to one is a threat to all.
Library Journal:
The NPRM, originally released by the FCC on June 26, poses questions as to whether E-Rate should be scaled back, narrowed in scope, or terminated entirely, weighing factors that include nationwide increases in connectivity rates over the program’s 30 years, concerns about excessive screen time among young people, and interpretations of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA).
A companion Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) proposes stricter oversight on third-party consultants and more streamlined administration of the program’s funds.
All libraries, schools, and community stakeholders are strongly urged to respond to the NPRM. Initial comments are due on or before midnight Eastern time on October 13; responses to those comments are due by November 12.
The Jersey Access Group has been representing the interests of municipal and community media in both Trenton and Washington, DC for over 25 years. The Legislative Committee keeps a watchful eye on bills and actions that may affect the interests and needs of our diverse communities. This includes analyzing and addressing emerging developments and changes in the telecommunication industry that could be an issue for our operations, and that of our local municipalities.
JAG’s efforts on behalf of our members and the residents of New Jersey have never been more important!
Posted: September 20, 2026 by Rich Desimone
Are We Losing Our Community’s Video History?
by John C. Morley, Video Producer and Engineer
Walk into almost any community television station that has been operating for several decades, and there is a good chance you will find pieces of the community’s history stored somewhere inside. Shelves may contain videotapes with handwritten labels, cabinets may hold DVDs and other recording media, and hard drives or servers may contain years of locally produced programming. Some stations may even have recordings stored on formats newer staff have never worked with, and equipment that has not been powered on in years.
When those programs were originally produced, few people were probably thinking about their historical significance. The crew may have been covering a council meeting, recording a school concert, interviewing a local official, televising a parade, documenting a community celebration, or simply producing another episode of a local program. As the years pass, however, those seemingly routine recordings can become something much more important. They become a visual record of the people, places, events, and conversations that helped shape a community.
The challenge facing community television stations today is not simply deciding whether that history is worth preserving. It is determining whether we will still be able to access it when someone wants to see it years from now.
Yesterday’s Programming Becomes Tomorrow’s History
Community television stations have documented countless moments that may not exist anywhere else. Local government meetings, elections, school events, interviews, sporting events, dedications, parades, community celebrations, and conversations with longtime residents can all become part of a town’s historical record. Unlike material produced by major broadcasters, much of this footage may never have been duplicated or preserved by another organization.
A recording that seemed ordinary in 1996 can take on an entirely different significance thirty years later. Buildings visible in the background may have changed or disappeared, businesses may have closed, community leaders appearing on camera may no longer be with us, and children participating in a school program may now be raising families of their own. Even the way a downtown area looked, how residents discussed an important issue, or how a community celebrated a milestone can provide future generations with a perspective that written records and photographs alone cannot always capture.
This is one of the unique contributions community television makes to the places it serves. We are not only producing programming for today’s viewers. Whether we realize it at the time or not, we are also creating a visual record that may become increasingly valuable as the years pass.
Having the Recording Does Not Mean We Can Still Play It
Preserving that history becomes more complicated because television technology never stops changing. A station that has operated for several decades may have accumulated material on VHS, S-VHS, Hi8, MiniDV, DVCAM, DVDs, and a variety of digital recording and storage systems. Some formats once standard in television production are now rarely encountered outside archives and older facilities.
The recording itself may still sit safely on a shelf, but that does not guarantee the station can play it. Machines wear out, belts and mechanical components deteriorate, replacement parts become difficult to obtain, and manufacturers eventually discontinue support. At the same time, engineers and technicians who spent years working with older equipment retire, taking valuable knowledge about those systems with them.
This creates an interesting preservation problem. Stations are not only working against the physical aging of their media. They may also be working against the disappearance of the equipment and expertise necessary to access it. A shelf containing hundreds of tapes may seem like a substantial archive. Still, its value changes dramatically if no functioning machine can play those recordings.
Digital Does Not Automatically Mean Preserved
Digitizing older material is an important part of protecting an archive, but converting a recording into a digital file does not guarantee that it will remain available forever. Digital storage introduces its own set of challenges, and community stations should avoid assuming that once something has been copied to a hard drive or server, the preservation job is complete.
Hard drives fail, servers are replaced, files become corrupted, and material can be accidentally deleted. Storage systems are reorganized as technology changes, and files can be moved without anyone documenting where they went. A station may also discover years later that important programming exists only on an aging storage device that has not been tested recently.
For that reason, an important distinction exists between storing video and preserving video. Effective preservation requires stations to think about where important files are located, whether reliable additional copies exist, how those copies are maintained, and how material will be migrated as storage technology continues to evolve. No historically important collection should depend entirely on one aging hard drive, one server, or one physical location.
Knowing What You Have Is Part of Preservation
Imagine receiving a request for an interview that your station recorded fifteen years ago. Someone remembers the program, knows approximately when it aired, and believes the station still has a copy. Would someone working at the station today know where to begin looking for it?
This is where cataloging becomes as important as storage. A station may possess thousands of hours of valuable programming, but that archive becomes considerably less useful when nobody can determine what the files or recordings contain. Names such as PROGRAM001, FINALVIDEO2, or MEETING_OLD might have made sense to the person who created them, but they provide very little information to someone searching the archive years later.
A useful archive should provide enough information for future staff members to understand what they are looking at without relying on the memory of the person who originally recorded it. Program titles, recording dates, locations, names of people appearing in the program, event descriptions, original media formats, and storage locations can all make material easier to identify and retrieve. Consistent naming conventions and a searchable inventory can make an enormous difference without requiring a sophisticated archival system.
Deciding What Deserves Priority
For stations with decades of programming, preserving everything at once may be unrealistic. Limited staff, budgets, equipment, and time mean that some form of prioritization may be necessary. The first goal should be to understand what the station has and identify which recordings face the greatest risk of becoming inaccessible.
Historically significant local events, government proceedings, interviews with community leaders and longtime residents, major anniversaries, original local programming, and footage documenting places that have substantially changed may deserve particular attention. Stations should also consider the physical condition of their media and whether the equipment required to play a particular format is becoming difficult to maintain.
Prioritization does not mean deciding that everything else is unimportant. It offers a practical way to start a project that might otherwise feel overwhelming. Saving the most vulnerable and irreplaceable material first can protect key parts of the collection while a broader preservation strategy develops.
Preservation Does Not Have to Happen Overnight
Community television stations already have demanding responsibilities. Programs need to be produced, government meetings need to be covered, equipment needs to be maintained, schedules need to be managed, and staff and volunteers often accomplish a remarkable amount with limited resources. Understandably, an archive project can remain on the list of things everyone intends to address someday.
The problem is that waiting carries its own risk. Legacy equipment continues to age, older media may deteriorate, and institutional knowledge can disappear when longtime employees or volunteers leave. An unlabeled recording becomes much more difficult to identify when the person who produced it is no longer available to explain what it contains.
A preservation effort does not have to begin with an enormous investment or an attempt to digitize decades of programming at once. Stations can start by identifying the formats in their archives, determining which playback equipment remains operational, and inventorying the material currently being stored. From there, consistent naming and cataloging procedures can help identify historically significant recordings and prioritize media at greatest risk. As material is migrated, maintaining reliable copies in more than one location can help ensure that today’s work protects those recordings for the future.
Preserving More Than Television Programs
Community television has always been closely connected to the communities it serves, which is precisely why these archives can become so important. A council meeting, parade, school event, interview, dedication, election program, or community celebration may initially be seen as just another production on the station schedule. Decades later, that same recording may provide a glimpse into a community that can no longer be recreated.
Technology will continue to change. Cameras will be replaced, servers will be upgraded, storage systems will evolve, and recording formats that seem permanent today will eventually give way to something new. That progression is inevitable, but losing the history captured through those technologies does not have to be.
Perhaps this is a good time for every community television station to take another look at the shelves, cabinets, servers, drives, and storage areas that have accumulated over the years. There may be far more than old television programs sitting there. Pieces of a community’s history may exist nowhere else.
The question worth asking is not only what we have saved from the past, but what we are holding today that our community will wish we had preserved twenty years from now.