by Bob Nicholson, Station Manager, West Milford WM77 Television
I attended the JAG 2024 Conference with anticipations of acquiring information particularly about new products from suppliers and of course the workshops. Checking in was smooth and efficient unlike some previous years. My complaint was the printing on back of the badges for the workshops. It was difficult for this old guy to read. I understand the cost of printing can be prohibitive. Since COVID the conference has gone from 3 days to 1 full day. Costs have escalated and vendors are doing less events and thus there are fewer exhibits. Only the major JAG sponsors seem to be exhibiting and many are looking for buyers rather than browsers.
For the most part the conference was “mission accomplished” however, I was disappointed in the lack of vendors. The ones that were there were excellent and relevant to what I was seeking. My prime objective was to visit TelVue and DeSisti Lighting and they both offered deals galore. My station was also interested in another camera however there was no representation from Panasonic, Canon or Sony which was disappointing. On a positive note, the info I received from Varto Technologies and LiveU was very helpful for future reference. Although their products are among the best among the competitors, WM77 is a small volunteer station and our budget doesn’t allow us to spend much money at this time.
The workshops were the jewel of the conference. There was plenty to choose from. As a matter of fact they were all excellent choices. I wish there were notepads provided at the tables so I could of have taken notes. There were two of us that attended from West Milford so we split up the workshops among us. The information will help us make decisions going forward. Actually, there were so many good workshops, we could have had another person attend with us. That brings me to the pricing of the conference. We had the Township pay for our attendance. We could have had one more but the funds came directly from our operating budget and we would have to choose between adding equipment or having another attendee. The full conference costs $225 per person and $675 for three and because we are a small station, it would have seriously impacted the amount of equipment we could purchase. I won’t justify or criticize the price, that’s not the purpose of my review nor do I know all the facts involved. However, for some our independent members and I’m sure even for other JAG municipal members, the registration fee is just too steep, which presents a dilemma for JAG.
The dinner and awards were well managed—although I was a little confused about the difference between first, second and third place and the silver and gold excellence awards. I did realize first place was a statue that we received for single camera meetings category. There was no entertainment this year, I guess due to budget considerations, which I thought was fine. After a long busy day, it was good not to lengthen the show. This allowed for wonderful testimonials and the multiple category awards presentations and to move the evening forward quickly and efficiently. Not wanting to leave early and miss anything, we were able to hit the road for the long ride home at a decent hour. Summing it up, all in all I enjoyed JAG’s Conference despite some of the inadequacies I mentioned. The positives far outweighed the negatives. Nothing is perfect. It’s an ongoing work in progress. That said, I look forward to the 2025 JAG Conference being bigger and better
by Jesse Lerman, President/CEO, TelVue Corporation
TelVue was thrilled to engage with so many of you at this year’s JAG conference. We are proud again to be the conference Diamond sponsor and the technical partner supporting JAG’s Internet Channel and Shared Server. The one-day conference featured an expanded number of sessions. Based on the strong attendance, the conference committee did a fantastic job selecting relevant topics. TelVue was honored to participate in multiple sessions, including Beyond Cable, Closed Captioning and the annual TelVue User Group.
At the TelVue User Group, I reviewed key new features released over the past year, with a focus on the recent HyperCaster 8.5 release including:
Redesigned, responsive calendar scheduler for programming efficiency and a seamless mobile experience
New 1-week scheduling view that makes it easier to visualize and plan your programming
Expanded scheduling user roles for volunteers, camera operators, and more
We appreciated so many of you attending our User Group. It gives us a chance to get valuable feedback for prioritizing our development roadmap.
Reviewing What’s New and HyperCaster 8.5 at the Opening TelVue User Group
HyperCaster 8.5 With New Mobile & Weekly Scheduling
Accessibility was a hot topic at the conference, especially with the new DOJ ADA rules for government entities that requires websites to comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), including captioning web video. Panelists Mike Wassenaar, President of the ACM, and Jeff Bayne, partner, Spiegel & McDiarmid, reviewed all of the requirements in detail. TelVue followed up with a practical session focusing on technology choices and costs to comply, including TelVue’s ultra-affordable SmartCaption™ automatic closed captioning solution, and TelVue CloudCast’s WCAG-compatible web players and apps for streaming.
Another DOJ ADA requirement is that videos include audio description, audio narratives of key visual elements in programming, which, unlike captions, is currently very expensive to implement. The DOJ rules do allow for financial hardship exemption, but the burden of proof falls on the stations. Rapidly evolving AI technology could help lower the cost of audio description in the future, and having a grace period to comply, plus possible exemptions, adds needed breathing room.
I collaborated on the Beyond Cable session with Gina Forbes and Joe Fernandes from Woodbridge TV, and Brandon Uhlig from Metuchen Media, reviewing tips and best practices to leverage social media, streaming, OTT and mobile to reach new audiences and demographics, increase engagement, deliver in high-definition, and access detailed viewership analytics to help you achieve your core mission. TelVue’s CloudCast streaming platform makes it easy to launch branded channels on OTT and mobile apps complete with analytics, and also offers revenue generation opportunities including paywall and pre-roll ads.
Beyond Cable Session – Social Media, Streaming, Mobile & OTT
JAG presented special awards to Nick Besink, a generous, technical and operational resource for so many stations, and to Geoffrey Belinfante and Dave Garb with well-deserved Presidents Ovation awards for their incredible leadership. TelVue is honored that they are all long-time customers, and we deeply appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with such deserving thought leaders. Ken Fellman received the Serving Community Media Award for his dedicated work keeping JAG informed on legislative and regulatory issues. Congratulations to all!
Since the JAG conference, TelVue has been busy working on our next round of innovations and unveiled our latest demos and upcoming features at ACM National in June, including:
Automatic AI Meeting Agenda Generation
Sitewide Video Caption Transcript & Chapter Search
Motion Logos & Backgrounds
TelVue Cloud Storage Service for Secure, Broadcast Archiving
Full-motion Browser Template Previews, Streaming Background Audio with Ducking, and Everlasting Schedules for InfoVue CBB / Signage.
As the pace of technology and broadcast advancements accelerates, one can only guess what the hot issues will be for next year, but we can be sure JAG 2025 will be ready with the perfect sessions. Listening to your great feedback, TelVue will continue to innovate to make sure our products and services are staying ahead of the curve to help you save time, expand viewership, increase accessibility, generate new sources of revenue and future proof your stations.
Happy Summer Everyone! Even with the heat blazing this time of year, action is still happening on the issues that could affect our local channels and their operations. We need to stay aware of this legislative news and how they impact our operations.
To start off with, let’s go back to May 2024 and revisit the annual conference hosted by the Jersey Access Group. During the legislative sessions, two interesting topics sparked the interest of the participants.
The first one highlighted an important subject that all of us need to prepare for: ADA Compliance: Updates on the DOJ Rulings and Closed Captioning for Municipal Websites and PEG Channels. This came on the heels of last December when we held a special webinar about what might be coming about closed captioning. One fact stood out and resonated with attendees: start budgeting for it! At the conference, we discovered that there is now an official guideline with timelines and important information that we may all need to adhere to. Please visit the video link to view this vital workshop in its entirety. https://videoplayer.telvue.com/player/xdH7TjFGQnrU8xmITAT7CM11BmCF94gp/media/889741?fullscreen=false&showtabssearch=true&show_title_description_summary=true&autostart=false
In June, the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted three resolutions at their 92nd Annual Meeting in Kansas City. They addressed communication space issues facing local governments and their residents. Topics included: ACP, mixed use and opposition to H.R. 3557. (See https://broadbandbreakfast.com/u-s-mayor-target-cable-broadband-revenue/.) Adoption was unanimous in committee and adopted by the membership.
The Mayors Conference also identified its policy priorities via the resolution process. Next year, mayors will focus their efforts on the following resolutions.
Northern Dakota County Cable Communications Commission’s (NDC4) Mixed-Use Rule Filing:NDC4 Letter to the FCCMany American cities want 5% of cable’s broadband revenue, but the FCC’s Mixed-Use Rule is standing in the way. In a June 5, 2024 letter, the Northern Dakota County Cable Communications Commission (NDC4) called on the FCC to repeal the Mixed-Use Rule, saying the rule was undermining local efforts to expand broadband access and prevent digital discrimination. “The Mixed-Use Rule creates an arbitrary and unworkable patchwork of state and local regulation in which a state or local government that happens to also be a franchising authority has less authority than one that is not. The Mixed-Use Rule frustrates FCC and local efforts to ensure equitable access to quality, affordable broadband,” the NDC4 said. NDC4 is a Minnesota municipal joint powers cooperative formed by its member cities Inver Grove Heights, Lilydale, Mendota, Mendota Heights, South St. Paul, Sunfish Lake, and West St. Paul, Minn. and includes 91,500 people.
In another recent FCC filing, the city of Portland, OR calculated that the Mixed-Use rule was costing cities about $3.75 billion nationally in lost franchise fees.
On the continuing quest for states and local municipalities to be able to collect right-of-way fees from streaming services, our friends to our north have recently taken action.
From NATOA:
Canada demands 5% of revenue from Netflix, Spotify, and other streamers.
The Path Forward – Supporting Canadian and Indigenous content through base contributions.Canada has ordered large online streaming services to pay 5% of their Canadian revenue to the government in a program expected to raise $200 million/year to support local news and other home-grown content. The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced its decision in the beginning of June, after a public comment period. These obligations will start during Canada’s 2024–2025 broadcast year which begins on September 1st. We will monitor and report more on this law as it progresses through the Canadian Providences and Territories.
The Protecting Community Television Act
For many years, public, educational and government (PEG) channels have given their viewers critical information about what’s going on in their specific communities and offer every local resident a chance to have their voices heard. In 2019 the federal communications commission proposed a new rule that would change the regulations and allow cable companies to shirk their obligations to the communities where they operate.
Fortunately, there is a bill that is awaiting action in both sides of Congress. The Protecting Community Television Act mandates that the franchise fees must be only monetary payments—non-monetary contributions would be allowed. To find out more about this rule and the two companion bills that can reverse it, please visit a special public service announcement that JAG put together on this important issue.
I sent an email the other week because I needed a special cable and that reminded me of an older article I did. I thought an updated version of it would be appropriate now. When you run a station sometimes you need additional support and information. How do you get that information? Who is available to give you that added help? With JAG as a resource, there are many places you can get the information and help you need.
Information …. tell me how to get it!
The first and easiest way is on the JAG website, https://jagonline.org/. The JAG website is great for finding information and resources. It includes everything from access to past newsletters with pertinent information, articles and posts, conference information, videos from league presentations, a members only section and much more. This resource should always be your first stop when looking for information.
What if you can’t find what you are looking for on the JAG website?
Where can you turn to next? Look no further then you email inbox. As a JAG member you have access to a very powerful tool, the JAG Email List Serve. It’s a place where you can ask questions of both JAG members and vendors alike. You get the advantage of multiple responses from multiple resources. Plus, you get the benefit of asking others who may have already experienced what you want to find out about.
Are there other tools available?
Another powerful resource for JAG members is our organizational members. These are vendors who have already committed themselves to working with JAG and our membership by becoming part of the organization. You should always consider them as a valued tool. These are both companies and people who understand the unique nature of what we do, the budget constraints we are up against and the need for updated technology. Whether you want to update your current equipment, add new technology or just plan for down the road, be sure to take advantage of their expertise.
What if I need just a little more?
That is a question many people have asked. And where did they turn to? A consultant. First, I must reveal that professionally, I am a consultant. With over 35 years of experience in the television industry, my knowledge and expertise—and the knowledge and expertise of others like me—become valuable tools for stations just starting out or those wanting to make the next move or stations who just need additional operational support. Paying to “pick the brain” of a consultant who is qualified to analyze your unique needs, plan a course of action, and help you achieve your goals is another tool in the toolbox. Consultants can help you with technology, management and franchise negotiations.
Where can I find additional crew?
I know many station managers in JAG have reached out to each other to share a very important asset: crew. Many of us in this industry who operate a station part-time, as a volunteer or even with full-time staff, also do freelance work on the side. You may also have camera operators and editors that freelance. JAG understands the importance of these resources and has a special section in the Members Area of the JAG website that allows freelancers to share their information and experience. Freelancers make their information available so JAG members can hire them for additional production support. You never know when you might need an additional camera operator, editor, or all-around production support. When you do, look no further than our JAG members. This information is only accessible with a password that is available from JAG’s Treasurer.
The value of JAG to its members.
My continued goal in this article is to help you realize the value of your membership in JAG . JAG membership is an extremely valuable tool that helps you achieve higher quality operations, create better content and expand your industry knowledge. Most of this is easily accessible from your computer, web browser or email, but you need to make the first move. If you still need more help, you can commit yourself to the next level: paid support with a consultant. Whichever path you choose, the goal is to help advance your knowledge and improve your station’s operations. In case you were wondering, I did get the cable I needed, it saved the day and was a key in making the event’s coverage successful. Thank you, Piscataway TV!
by Christine Federico Hoffman, producer/assistant director, Cranford TV
The increased use of drones and live video technology are becoming indispensable tools for emergency personnel when fighting crime and communicating to their citizens during emergencies.
In a special presentation by the Jersey Access Group (a consortium of local public access channels in New Jersey) members of police, fire and emergency management personnel told of their increased efficiency with these new advanced tools. The use of drones exponentially increases police effectiveness during events for crowd control, suspect tracking and firefighting. “We’ve gone from the Flintstones to the Jetsons,” said John Centanni, Emergency Management Coordinator for East Hanover Township.
The city of Elizabeth now has 15 trained drone pilots, said Luis Figueiredo, a detective in the Elizabeth Police Dept. Drones are sent out on about 30 to 40 calls daily. The city’s first responder drone has gone out on 1,400 calls since January. Drones are used to track fleeing suspects, some who thought they had lost the police but were then surprised to find them waiting at the next corner. Drones also are used to monitor large festivals to track potential problems and to allow officers immediately to assess the scope of a developing problem. Drones are even used on ordinary calls, such as fender benders.
“We can send our drone and see if the call is still there, and see if the call is more serious,” Figueiredo said. “If we get on scene quick (with the drone) we can already ask for a tow truck. The number of calls we do on a daily basis justifies the existence of the technology. We are able to cover a larger area in quicker response time. Say school is letting out or it’s rush hour. You can get on scene quicker and make better decisions.”
In one vivid example of the benefit of live drone technology, Figueiredo recounted fighting a large car carrier ship fire. Drones were used overhead to pinpoint the fire’s hot areas and to help firefighters direct their water streams. In the past, firefighters had to stand on surrounding structures to see which direction the fire was heading.
This live video technology is made possible through a company called Live U, which built its brand helping broadcast television deliver live images worldwide without the use of expensive satellite trucks. Live U bonds cellular service and Wi-Fi to create a strong video signal that is sent to the customer’s receiver. The technology also now is being embraced in emergency management circles.
Centanni said that multiple agencies in East Hanover joined to establish its drone team to use for emergency and informational purposes. Police joining forces with OEM, fire, EMS and DPW created more funding opportunities and increased the number of pilot personnel and shared equipment. “To make the program work, the municipality must buy into the idea wholly, and commit to training, updating equipment and streaming technologies.” he said.
Having a better command of the emergency situation also helps to strengthen a partnership between OEM and local public access stations, which have become critical in reaching citizens quickly with accurate information. Some local public access stations are sending out live broadcasts during emergencies as a link between their city’s authorities and citizens.
When a local popular food pantry burned to the ground in Piscataway, Mayor Brian C. Wahler appeared on Piscataway Community Television live to share facts and to calm citizens. Others, such as the City of Bloomfield, have streamed OEM meetings live before a major anticipated weather event to calm residents’ fears and to show officials working to keep everyone safe.
Municipalities have found this partnership to be beneficial and even essential during a time when many curious citizens turn to gossip on Facebook, which often contains inaccurate information. “It’s important to get good info out to the community quickly,” said Bob Duthaler, executive producer and partner at DNS Media Group and president of JAG. “Or else rumors grow.“
Bloomfield Fire Chief Louis Venezia said that releasing accurate information in a timely manner is increasing in importance. “I think just the hysteria from the bad information that develops from instant messaging from people…they could put any spin they want,” he said. “It could go anywhere from we have a possible breaking and entering to turning that into someone broke into someone’s house and we have a hostage situation. So, it cuts that short and gets out the real message. That real-time message that comes from an authority stifles a lot of concerns.”
My role as JAG Treasurer entails many duties: some interesting, some tedious, but all important and integral to the functioning of JAG. The most visible and exciting is welcoming attendees at the annual JAG Conference. Assisting and answering questions is of great value to our members. It’s also rewarding to me in several ways.
One of my major duties as Treasurer is sending out invoices for annual member dues. I have gotten to know more of our members (and others responsible for paying invoices) as each year passes. Putting faces to names is invaluable to me. So, greeting members at the conference – in person — is an enormous help. Sometimes this is the only opportunity members have to begin a dialogue with JAG. In this, I have a unique position as a JAG Board member.
This year, I was able to have a conversation with Chuck Ricciardi of the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission. The Commission provided a booth at our conference, and as it turned out, Chuck told me that one of the previous interns at my community access facility now works at the Commission; they are very pleased with him. We were also sorry to lose this intern when he went on to college. It made my day to know that he has remained in the industry and that we had given him a start. It was a meaningful conversation.
I enjoyed seeing old friends in person and meeting new ones at the conference. Sincere thanks to all who attended! Vendor support:
by Geoffrey Belinfante, Conference Committee, Vice Chair
Planning the JAG conference is like staging a high school musical. You and your colleagues work all year long on the musical (read “conference”), and all the events you’ve planned come and go so quickly that you barely have a chance to appreciate your hard work. That’s how I feel about this year’s JAG Conference and Awards dinner. While admittedly the day is a blur to me, I do remember some of the highlights and I have talked to lots of people who attended workshops that I could not so, by way of full disclosure, this article is based on personal observations and what I have heard from others.
By all measures, the 2024 Conference was a success. Attendance was up substantially from last year; the workshops were all well attended and every time I was on the exhibit floor there were people chatting at the booths. The day started out with two user groups where TelVue and Varto Technologies shared new developments for their respective technologies and answered operational questions from the assembled users. Both were full.
Next up was the showcase event of the morning, and perhaps of the entire day. People came from all over the state to attend the workshop sponsored by LiveU that featured technology that allows drone footage to be easily integrated into both Emergency Management operations and the towns TV channels. The example of the use of drone footage during last year’s Elizabeth Ship fire was particularly noteworthy.
Our lunchtime panel was just as advertised. A packed room heard from assembled experts who explained the importance of broadband in the future of television distribution in general, and local access TV distribution in particular. Valarry Bullard, Broadband Director, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities explained the importance of identifying the broadband “deserts” in your community and communicating their location to the BPU so your township can take advantage of the federal money that has been allocated by the Biden administration to provide broadband service to all.
Mike Wassener, President & CEO, Alliance for Community Media and JAG’s attorney Ken Fellman, Esq., founder and partner, Wilson Williams Fellman Dittman, emphasized the importance of making broadband available to all in the 21st century. With people cutting the cord and thereby loosing access to local town channels, we have to ensure that broadband service is available to all and that these channels are available on those broadband services. It’s part of what Mike called their “digital right,” and that right extends to their ability to access their townships PEG channel. It’s part of a new standard of governance in a democracy and every citizen should have the ability to view their government in action.
Providing access to inexpensive broadband service to all is key to that participation. Robert Boyle, CEO, Planet Networks, also made it clear that in the services he provides to township, there is always the willingness to provide the hyper local information that local stations provide to his subscribers. If there were any JAG members who didn’t understand why they should be concerned about Broadband deployment in their areas, they certainly understand now.
After our Broadband Panel, if anyone was wondering how they can reach every citizen in their town, including the cord-cutters, we offered a panel that discussed the new and different ways to reach all your citizens with broadband access but no cable service.
The Sessions
After lunch was the period when I was busy hosting workshops, so I’ll review the success of the panels I hosted–admittedly with my rather biased view of the three panels I moderated. The first was a panel presented by the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission, which is part of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, that was roughly based on a presentation that they have been giving to municipal officials across the state called “Making Your Municipality Film Ready.”
The objective of the presentation was to insure that visiting Film and Television productions companies can take full advantage of all that New Jersey has to offer without a lot of red tape to obtain the required permits. When Governor Murphy re-instituted the tax incentives for film and tv producers, the amount of production in the Garden State began to soar and now, with two major production facilities planned for the future, it will only continue to increase. Charles Riccardi, Operations & Creative Director & Elizabeth Parchment, Chief Marketing Officer from the commission emphasized the potential economic impact of a large film shoot for local businesses. One of the things that the commission recommended in their presentation was that a municipal employee be appointed as the principal point of contact for any producers interested in shooting in their town. It was suggested that it might be helpful if that person was someone who understood the needs of film and television production. What better person then someone involved in running the local access channel. As you can imagine, that got the attention of all those in the room.
For several years now, we have all expected to face the fact that the federal government will require that all forms of public meetings be closed-captioned. Those days are drawing closer as the Justice Department, rather than the FCC, begins to look to enforcing closed captioning under the Americans with Disabilities act. We presented two workshops on the subject, one by Mike Wassenaar, President & CEO, Alliance for Community Media and Jeff Bayne, partner, Spiegel & McDiarmid, that covered the activities of those in Washington who are charged with enforcing the ADA. The take away from this panel was that the mandate from Washington is coming, but it’s hard to predict exactly when. It’s likely that there will be a two-to-three-year grace period before the mandate kicks in.
We also presented a session to discuss the technical choices available to help stations to comply. Jesse Lerman, President/CEO, TelVue Corporation, took those present through the various ways to caption a live meeting. He also went into some detail about the solutions that TelVue offers to complete the task. Once again, those who attended understood what is require and how much it will cost when they have to comply.
Some stations may be facing the renewal of franchise agreements in the near future and that can be a stressful time for a municipality. Panelists Ken Fellman, Esq., founder and partner, Wilson Williams Fellman Dittman and Jeff Bayne, partner, Spiegel & McDiarmid were able to update station managers as to what to expect when they and/or their bosses sit down to negotiate with the various cable companies that service New Jersey. This also included a discussion about the statewide franchise agreement and what is included when a carrier opts for this kind of contract.
Simultaneously panelists Gina Forbes, Station Manager, Woodbridge TV; Jesse Lerman, President/CEO, TelVue Corporation; Joe Fernandes, Assistant Supervisor, Woodbridge TV; Brandon Uhlig, Station Manager, Metuchen Media, explored how to provide content to different distribution platforms. This provides new opportunities to enhance their programs. The session could have easily gone on for another hour as there were a number of questions that couldn’t be addressed and led to a rush to the panelist after the session ended.
Thanks to Don Smith’s contacts at News 12, we were able to present a very informative session on interviewing techniques featuring a former colleague of his, Kristina Behr, an Emmy award winning anchor and news reporter. The attendees had a number of questions relating to problems they had encountered that effected the quality of their program. They went away with some new tools and a better understanding of how to control an interview.
My last session concerned the unlikely places to look in your municipality for story ideas to enhance your local programming. Thanks to fellow panelists Anthony Pagliuco, Station Manager, East Brunswick TV; Gina Forbes, Station Manager, Woodbridge TV and Abby Wilson, Production Manager, C-NET, State College, PA, we presented sources of programming ideas that are readily available in most towns. While none of the ideas presented were particularly revolutionary, those who attended found it useful to see all these opportunities in one convenient place.
The final panel of the day discussed the availability of new and smaller equipment for use on remote shoots. Panelists Ed Cologna, Cologna Productions; Paul DeStefano, Northeast Regional Sales Manager, DeSisti and Yervant Keshishian, Sales Engineer, Varto Technologies addressed streamlining your workflow in the field by minimizing gear to significantly enhance efficiency and make your work more manageable.
What an afternoon. My head is still processing an amazing collection of information. The committee deserves a round of applause for providing a diverse array of sessions with knowledgeable panelists.
The end of the day brought a raffle for all those who stayed for the duration, a cocktail reception with some tasty passed hors d’oeuvres. Thanks to Cologna Productions, TelVue and Varto Technologies for providing items. This was a great time to network with attendees and vendors and relax after a full day of sessions. But there was still the final event of the conference to attend. Soon we would celebrate the work of the members of JAG.
The Banquet
And of course it was soon time to celebrate and recognize outstanding achievements and the presentation of the JAG Awards. First the “Serving Community Media Award” was presented to Ken Fellman for his years of assistance as counsel to JAG. This award consisted of an engraved cake serving set that Ken used to ceremoniously cut a cake that was then served to the community media representatives that were present.
Next, JAG presented the “Legislator of the Year Award” to Senator Cory Booker for his continued help in supporting the survival of local access TV. The plaque read:
AS ONE WHO RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPARENCY, THE JERSEY ACCESS GROUP IS PLEASED THAT YOU RECOGNIZE THE ROLE OF MUNICIPAL AND COMMUNITY MEDIA IN FURTHERING THIS MESSAGE.
Although Senator Booker could not attend, he sent a wonderful video message about JAG. https://youtu.be/Mba7WMrhSOY
JAG also presents a Community Recognition Award to recognize a local official whose effort in New Jersey strengthens JAG’s value. This year JAG recognized Lisa Allen, Council President, City of Summit for her many years of support. The Plaque read:
JAG RECOGNIZES LISA ALLEN, SUMMIT COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND LONG-TIME MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR SUMMIT’S OWN CHANNEL, HTTV, FOR HER MANY YEARS OF UNWAVERING SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY TELEVISION AND ITS ROLE IN PROVIDING INFORMATION, EDUCATION, ENTERTAINMENT AND TRANSPARENCY TO THE COMMUNITIES IT
Nick Besink received the “JAG Members Recognition Award” for all the great work he has done to spread the importance of JAG membership to towns all over Bergen County.
The award read:
NICK HAS BEEN A PART OF ORADELL’S COMMUNITY TV FACILITY, OPTV SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2006, AND HAS BEEN ITS CHAIR SINCE 2009. IN ADDITION TO RUNNING OPTV AND, ALONG WITH STAFF AND CREW, MAKING IT THE BEST IT CAN BE, NICK HAS ASSISTED MANY OTHER PEG FACILITIES WITH THEIR OPERATIONS GETTING THEIR FACILITY UP AND RUNNING AND ON THE AIR. THESE INCLUDE NJ COMMUNITY TV CHANNELS IN MONTVALE, RIVER EDGE, WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP (BERGEN), EMERSON, PARK RIDGE, OLD BRIDGE, AND MAYWOOD. HE IS ALWAYS READY TO ASSIST ANYONE, WHETHER IT BE RELATED TO EQUIPMENT, OPERATIONS, OR ANYTHING THAT IS NEEDED. HIS REPUTATION IN THIS REGARD IS WELL KNOWN. OPTV HAS BEEN A JAG MEMBER SINCE 2008, AND NICK VALUES NETWORKING WITH OTHER MEMBERS AND SHARING INFORMATION.
The President’s Ovation Awards were given to Dave Garb for the work he’s done as chair of the Legislative Committee including visiting NJ legislative representatives in Washington on behalf of all JAG members; and finally to yours truly for my work as the chair of JAG’s External Relations Committee I am truly grateful. The award read:
In acknowledgement of his
unrelenting commitment to the
members of the Jersey Access Group,
PEG Access and local governments
throughout our area.
The JAG Awards followed and I am always impressed by the quality of the productions that win the Awards of Excellence. This year was no exception. The 25 awards spanned the largest group of stations ever, a clear indication that local access is growing in New Jersey. While it came and went faster than I would have liked, this year’s conference was a great success. Thanks to all our loyal sponsors: TelVue, Varto Technologies, LiveU, Planet Networks, DeSisti and Cologna Productions for their continuing support. If you missed it this year, be on the lookout for the details of next year’s Conference. Don’t miss it!
For this month’s newsletter, we will continue the discussion about current federal actions that have been enacted which will have an effect on how local governments provide information on the internet for those with disabilities. We will also explore the latest law that reforms New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act—something that has been long overdue.
DOJ’s ADA Rule for State and Local Governments
From NATOA:
On April 8th, Attorney General Merrick Garland signed a final rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure the accessibility of web content and mobile applications (apps) for people with disabilities.
To find out exactly what this ruling means to municipalities and PEG channels specifically, JAG presented an informative session about this very subject during its annual conference in May. The panel guests were Michael Wassenaar, President of the Alliance for Community Media (ACM) and Jeff Bayne, Partner at the law firm of Spiegel & McDiarmid, LLP. This revealing forum opened up the attendees eyes and ears to what was to come and what they need to do to prepare for it.
State and local governments provide many of their services, programs and activities through websites and mobile apps. When these websites and mobile apps are not accessible, they can create barriers for people with disabilities. Requirements for accessibility helps to make sure everyone has access to fully participate in all civic happenings or other community events like town meetings or programs at their child’s school.
To understand how everyone can become compliant, review the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1, Level AA, which can be found by visiting the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These regulations are the technical standards for state and local governments’ web content and mobile apps and will guide these demands. Further information can also be found on these other useful sites:
One such requirement is for the captioning on videos that are shown on the web. Yes, this means PEG stations that utilize the internet to transmit or showcase their programming (Live-streaming, Video-On-Demand, etc.). Besides this, there were some other unexpected rules that were also added to make our heads spin.
We reminded everyone last December to start budgeting for this, and now we all must figure it out. Fortunately we have a little bit of time to prepare. The timeline below shows the compliance deadlines.
This table shows how much time a state or local government have to comply with this rule.
State and local government size
Compliance date
0 to 49,999 persons
Three years after the final rule is published 4/8/27
Special district governments
Three years after the final rule is published 4/8/27
50,000 or more persons
Two years after the final rule is published 4/8/26
In the very near future, this session will be available to watch in its entirety. Where to view it will be discussed in an upcoming newsletter.
Reform to the Open Public Records Act (OPRA)
From the NJLM:
On June 5th, Governor Murphy signed into law legislation to modernize and reform the Open Public Records Act (OPRA).
This new law will take effect just after Labor Day. It is imperative to remember that the existing requirements of OPRA remain in effect and the new provisions will not apply to OPRA requests submitted before the effective date.
In a statement, the governor acknowledged that his decision to sign the bill would disappoint many advocates but if he “believed that this bill would enable corruption in any way, I would unhesitatingly veto it.” The Governor noted that “OPRA has not been the subject of any type of comprehensive update until now. Today’s world is very different than 2002, a time when the Internet was far less ubiquitous and there was vastly less access to individuals’ personal information.” Governor Murphy also stated that “After a thorough examination of the provisions of the bill, I am persuaded that the changes, viewed comprehensively, are relatively modest.”
Governor Murphy also stated that “Over a hundred mayors from both parties have asked for it to be enacted into law. I understand that some may view this support cynically, but I do not believe it is fair to dismiss an overwhelming bipartisan consensus from local elected officials. Serving in local elected office is a deeply thankless and glamour-free job, and I have consistently found mayors from both parties to be dedicated and hard-working public servants. Mayors subject themselves to constant scrutiny by their neighbors and their very own communities, especially in the age of social media, and I simply reject the idea that those calling for the bill’s passage are part of a nefarious plot to evade transparency and accountability.”
“The bill encourages public records to be placed on agency websites to the extent feasible, so they will be readily accessible even without an OPRA request, and appropriate funds to support those efforts. Furthermore, if the requestor is referred to the public agency’s website, the bill requires that the agency assist requestors in locating those records. The bill also provides additional flexibility for submitting requests by allowing their submission via form, letter, or email. With regard to personal information, the bill takes a number of positive steps. It defines personal identifying information and specifically adds new protections for month and day of birth, personal email addresses, the street address portion of a person’s primary or secondary home address, information about minors, and information protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)”.
This new law will take effect in 90 days, just after Labor Day. It is imperative to remember that the existing requirements of OPRA remain in effect and the new provisions will not apply to OPRA requests submitted before the effective date. Please visit the following link to review a special handout that was created by the New Jersey League of Municipalities to help everyone understand OPRA and the changes to it.
Summer, a time to relax, get away and just spend my days doing nothing and sipping on an ice-cold drink by a lake, pool or ocean. Nay! Who am I kidding? It is never like that for me or the television industry. Well, for JAG, it never stops either. JAG Executive Board and committees continue throughout the summer. In fact, some of these committees are gearing up strong right now. So I thought I would share a few Summer checklist Items:
Conference Committee just finished up reviewing the 2024 Conference. They’re getting ready to close the books on this year’s event and open the books on 2025. If you have any interest in being part of the committee or want more information, reach out to me. I would be delighted to have you as a committee member. Having more people involved, gives us stronger and more diverse ideas and the ability to reach a larger group. Email me at bduthaler@jagonline.org .
JAG Awards Committee is coming off a fantastic 2024 awards season. This committee is also getting ready to close the books on the 2024 awards season and gear up for the 2025 awards season. The committee is always looking for new members, ideas to increase station involvement and thoughts on updating any awards categories. Please reach out the committee’s current chair George Fairfield at gfairfield@piscatawaynj.org to find out how you can join this committee.
Membership Committee is working hard recruiting new members, getting old members back in the fold and looking for creative new ways to bring in new members and groups interested into our organization. The committee is always looking for members to reach out to surrounding towns and organizations and get them involved with JAG. Now is also a good time to check your current status of JAG Membership and make sure your dues are paid up. Questions on payment can be made to JAG Treasurer Linda Besink @ lbesink@gmail.com or membership questions or to join the committee please reach out to Stephanie Gibbons, Membership Chair, at sgibbons@jagonline.org .
Legislative Committee is extremely busy now and these next few months. There is a lot of things happening on the Federal Level that will work its way down to both the state and local levels and can have a severe impact on PEG access, franchise fees, local authority on rights-of-way, closed captioning and ADA compliance. Now, more than ever is a great time to get involved in this committee because your station’s very existence is at stake! Look for committee updates in both this newsletter and the special legislative newsletter, upcoming email calls to action and more. Please reach out to Chair of the Legislative Committee David Garb at DAVEGARB@paps.net .
Production Committee is getting back on track and gearing up to create a new JAG video for, legislative outreach, membership updates and the League of Municipalities, along with several other projects. Also if you have programs for JAG’s YouTube and Streaming Channel, please reach out to the committee as well. If you feel you are creative, love to edit or shoot then reach out to Rick Gearhart, Production Committee Chair at frederickgearhart@gmail.com . This committee is always looking for new and creative people – remember, many hand help to lighten the load for all!
External Relations Committee is always active throughout the year. But as General Membership meetings take July and August off, this committee is gearing up to make sure future meetings have great speakers and vendors on hand to give more diversity and information to our monthly meetings. Plus this committee outlines and schedules sessions on behalf of JAG for the New Jersey League of Municipalities Conference. If you want to help out at the League Conference, have any thoughts on what you would like to see at meetings, then please reach out to the committee Chair, Geoffrey Belinfante at geoffbel512@gmail.com .
Finance Committee meets monthly as well. They help steer the financial direction of this organization. They help shape our budgets, look for creative financial solutions and work with the treasurer on different aspects of the JAG organization. The Finance Committee is always looking for new people. Reach out to JAG Treasurer and Committee Chair Linda Besink@ lbesink@gmail.com .
Executive Board Committee continues throughout the year to have monthly meetings, occasional emergency meetings and our multi-day retreat. Speaking of the retreat, the JAG Executive Board with input and direction from JAG’s Managing Director Rich Desimone, is gearing up for this year’s retreat in mid-August. We will be meeting virtually over several days of meetings in which we review the organizations policies and procedures and make recommendations for changes that help shape the future of this organization. These are always intense days to say the least! If this is something that interest you, then one of the best ways to get involved is to become a vice-chair of any committee which automatically puts you on the Leadership Development Committee.
Leadership Development Committee says it all. Its main purpose to get new members involved in the organization and to be a feeder committee to the board. The committee is made up of representatives from all the existing committees. For more information on the Leadership Development Committee, please reach out to JAG’s Vice President and Committee Chair, Doug Seidel at dseidel@piscatawaynj.org
I hope this list gives you some insight into our organization, sparks some interest in you in participating on a committee or overall just gets you excited to be part of the JAG organization. Remember, our organization is only as good as our members, and it takes many active members and those willing to participate to make it strong and be the organization we all want and deserve.
by Geoffrey Belinfante, Conference Committee, Vice Chair
As the opening to the old soap opera declares: Like sand in an hourglass, so are the days of our lives. Well, those sands will soon run out, so if you haven’t signed up for the 2024 JAG Conference yet, you are rapidly running out of time. The conference is set to kick off at 8:00am on Thursday May 16 at the Crowne Plaza in Edison. And, if you’re not there, you’ll miss some exciting and informative sessions—not to mention a chance to socialize and network with both your fellow JAG Members and the teams from our Organizational Members.
USER GROUPS
The day starts with two users groups that you won’t want to miss. The first from TelVue starts at 8:00am and will showcase the latest improvements to the hardware and services that they provide—and best of all, breakfast will be provided.
This users group is followed by a similar users group presentation at 9:00am by Varto Technologies that will address improvements to Tri-caster technology and NDI distribution—and there will be breakfast at this users group too.
EXHIBITOR
After the user groups, visit our exhibit floor, which opens at 9:00am and also offers the opportunity to have breakfast with our organizational partners. You can hear first-hand about the technical advancements they are offering. Members exhibiting include: TelVue, Varto Technologies, Cologna Productions, DeSisti Lighting, NewTek-TriCaster, LiveU, MyCaseBuilder, NJ Film Commission, Swit Electronics, Eiki Projectors & Panel Audio, JVC,G&G Technologies, Panasonic PTZ, Canon PTZ, and US-made Drones
SPECIAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SESSION
At 10:00am we have a very interesting and informative panel presented by LiveU about their newly developed technology that helps facilitate communications between your office of emergency management (OEM) and your station during a crisis. This panel is important for both PEG station management and members of your municipality’s OEM. Both are invited to join us for this free workshop, so please invite anyone from your town who would be appropriate. Panelists include: Alex Joice, VP of Solution Sales Engineering, LiveU; John Centanni, OEM Director of East Hanover; Louis Venezia, Bloomfield Fire Chief; Luis Figueiredo, Detective Elizabeth Police Dept.; Doug Seidel, Piscataway, TV; Yervant Keshishian, Sales Engineer, Authorized Trainer and Technical Director, Varto Technologies; Moderator: Bob Duthaler, President of JAG.
LUNCH PROGRAM
Our luncheon comes next with a panel that addresses the importance of broadband deployment and what it means for the distribution of cable television in general and more specifically PEG channels. Panelists include: Robert Boyle, CEO, Planet Networks; Mike Wassenaar, President & CEO, Alliance for Community Media; Ken Fellman Esq., founder and partner, Wilson Williams Fellman Dittman; Valarry Bullard, Broadband Director, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities; Moderator: Bob Duthaler, President, JAG.
SESSIONS
After lunch you’ll have some decisions to make. At 1:30pm you can attend a panel on ADA Compliance and the initiatives from the DOJ in Washington that might require you to close caption your public meetings sooner rather than later.
Or you might want to check out a presentation from the NJ Motion Picture & Television Commission on the explosion of both theatrical and documentary production in the state and how your municipality and your station can benefit from all the money that production companies are spending in the state.
At 2:30pm there are more choices. One panel will explore new ways to communicate with your citizens, and a second will unravel the complex and ever-changing things you should know when renegotiating your franchise agreement with your cable provider.
3:30pm brings two more interesting and informative workshops to choose from—one on interviewing techniques that are sure to improve any production, and a second that explores the technical options available to help you conform to any closed captioning regulations that might come out of Washington.
Finally at 4:30pm, to end a busy and informative day there are two more panels to choose from. For those interested in the technical side of the business, we’ll explore some new, lighter and less expensive choices for your location shots. And for those interested in programing, we’ll explore new and unusual sources that you might have overlooked for show ideas.
For more information on any or all of these workshops and the names and bios of our presenters, please check out the conference website at www.jagconference.com .
RECEPTION AND BANQUET
Now that the work has been done, it’s time to socialize and network with your fellow attendees. There’s a cocktail party sponsored by Cologna Productions starting at 5:30, followed by our banquet and JAG Awards presentation sponsored by Varto Technologies and LiveU.
The evening includes presentations of our Legislator of the Year Award to Senator Cory Booker and the Community Recognition Award to Lisa Allen, Council President, City of Summit. Additional awards include Serving Community Media Award, the President’s Ovation Award, and JAG Member Recognition Award. Followed, of course, by the presentation of the JAG Awards recognizing excellence in PEG programming.
Thanks to our sponsors, TelVue, Varto, Planet Networks, LiveU, Cologna Productions and DeSisti for their support, and thanks to all those on the conference committee who have worked so hard to present you, the members of JAG, an exciting and informative conference. We need the support of all members to make this a success. Please join us.
Reminder, if you have interns, they can attend for free. If your township won’t pay for your attendance, scholarships are available. Please contact Bob Duthaler. We want as many JAG members as possible to take advantage of the events at this conference!
News & Events
Posted: July 30, 2024 by Doug Seidel
My POV of the JAG 2024 Conference
by Bob Nicholson, Station Manager, West Milford WM77 Television
I attended the JAG 2024 Conference with anticipations of acquiring information particularly about new products from suppliers and of course the workshops. Checking in was smooth and efficient unlike some previous years. My complaint was the printing on back of the badges for the workshops. It was difficult for this old guy to read. I understand the cost of printing can be prohibitive. Since COVID the conference has gone from 3 days to 1 full day. Costs have escalated and vendors are doing less events and thus there are fewer exhibits. Only the major JAG sponsors seem to be exhibiting and many are looking for buyers rather than browsers.
For the most part the conference was “mission accomplished” however, I was disappointed in the lack of vendors. The ones that were there were excellent and relevant to what I was seeking. My prime objective was to visit TelVue and DeSisti Lighting and they both offered deals galore. My station was also interested in another camera however there was no representation from Panasonic, Canon or Sony which was disappointing. On a positive note, the info I received from Varto Technologies and LiveU was very helpful for future reference. Although their products are among the best among the competitors, WM77 is a small volunteer station and our budget doesn’t allow us to spend much money at this time.
The workshops were the jewel of the conference. There was plenty to choose from. As a matter of fact they were all excellent choices. I wish there were notepads provided at the tables so I could of have taken notes. There were two of us that attended from West Milford so we split up the workshops among us. The information will help us make decisions going forward. Actually, there were so many good workshops, we could have had another person attend with us. That brings me to the pricing of the conference. We had the Township pay for our attendance. We could have had one more but the funds came directly from our operating budget and we would have to choose between adding equipment or having another attendee. The full conference costs $225 per person and $675 for three and because we are a small station, it would have seriously impacted the amount of equipment we could purchase. I won’t justify or criticize the price, that’s not the purpose of my review nor do I know all the facts involved. However, for some our independent members and I’m sure even for other JAG municipal members, the registration fee is just too steep, which presents a dilemma for JAG.
The dinner and awards were well managed—although I was a little confused about the difference between first, second and third place and the silver and gold excellence awards. I did realize first place was a statue that we received for single camera meetings category. There was no entertainment this year, I guess due to budget considerations, which I thought was fine. After a long busy day, it was good not to lengthen the show. This allowed for wonderful testimonials and the multiple category awards presentations and to move the evening forward quickly and efficiently. Not wanting to leave early and miss anything, we were able to hit the road for the long ride home at a decent hour. Summing it up, all in all I enjoyed JAG’s Conference despite some of the inadequacies I mentioned. The positives far outweighed the negatives. Nothing is perfect. It’s an ongoing work in progress. That said, I look forward to the 2025 JAG Conference being bigger and better
Posted: July 30, 2024 by Doug Seidel
TelVue JAG 2024 Conference Recap – Beyond Cable, Accessibility, AI and more.
by Jesse Lerman, President/CEO, TelVue Corporation
TelVue was thrilled to engage with so many of you at this year’s JAG conference. We are proud again to be the conference Diamond sponsor and the technical partner supporting JAG’s Internet Channel and Shared Server. The one-day conference featured an expanded number of sessions. Based on the strong attendance, the conference committee did a fantastic job selecting relevant topics. TelVue was honored to participate in multiple sessions, including Beyond Cable, Closed Captioning and the annual TelVue User Group.
At the TelVue User Group, I reviewed key new features released over the past year, with a focus on the recent HyperCaster 8.5 release including:
We appreciated so many of you attending our User Group. It gives us a chance to get valuable feedback for prioritizing our development roadmap.
Reviewing What’s New and HyperCaster 8.5 at the Opening TelVue User Group
HyperCaster 8.5 With New Mobile & Weekly Scheduling
Accessibility was a hot topic at the conference, especially with the new DOJ ADA rules for government entities that requires websites to comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), including captioning web video. Panelists Mike Wassenaar, President of the ACM, and Jeff Bayne, partner, Spiegel & McDiarmid, reviewed all of the requirements in detail. TelVue followed up with a practical session focusing on technology choices and costs to comply, including TelVue’s ultra-affordable SmartCaption™ automatic closed captioning solution, and TelVue CloudCast’s WCAG-compatible web players and apps for streaming.
Another DOJ ADA requirement is that videos include audio description, audio narratives of key visual elements in programming, which, unlike captions, is currently very expensive to implement. The DOJ rules do allow for financial hardship exemption, but the burden of proof falls on the stations. Rapidly evolving AI technology could help lower the cost of audio description in the future, and having a grace period to comply, plus possible exemptions, adds needed breathing room.
I collaborated on the Beyond Cable session with Gina Forbes and Joe Fernandes from Woodbridge TV, and Brandon Uhlig from Metuchen Media, reviewing tips and best practices to leverage social media, streaming, OTT and mobile to reach new audiences and demographics, increase engagement, deliver in high-definition, and access detailed viewership analytics to help you achieve your core mission. TelVue’s CloudCast streaming platform makes it easy to launch branded channels on OTT and mobile apps complete with analytics, and also offers revenue generation opportunities including paywall and pre-roll ads.
Beyond Cable Session – Social Media, Streaming, Mobile & OTT
JAG presented special awards to Nick Besink, a generous, technical and operational resource for so many stations, and to Geoffrey Belinfante and Dave Garb with well-deserved Presidents Ovation awards for their incredible leadership. TelVue is honored that they are all long-time customers, and we deeply appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with such deserving thought leaders. Ken Fellman received the Serving Community Media Award for his dedicated work keeping JAG informed on legislative and regulatory issues. Congratulations to all!
Since the JAG conference, TelVue has been busy working on our next round of innovations and unveiled our latest demos and upcoming features at ACM National in June, including:
As the pace of technology and broadcast advancements accelerates, one can only guess what the hot issues will be for next year, but we can be sure JAG 2025 will be ready with the perfect sessions. Listening to your great feedback, TelVue will continue to innovate to make sure our products and services are staying ahead of the curve to help you save time, expand viewership, increase accessibility, generate new sources of revenue and future proof your stations.
Posted: July 30, 2024 by Doug Seidel
Legislative Update July 2024: News from Trenton & Washington, DC
by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
Happy Summer Everyone! Even with the heat blazing this time of year, action is still happening on the issues that could affect our local channels and their operations. We need to stay aware of this legislative news and how they impact our operations.
To start off with, let’s go back to May 2024 and revisit the annual conference hosted by the Jersey Access Group. During the legislative sessions, two interesting topics sparked the interest of the participants.
The first one highlighted an important subject that all of us need to prepare for: ADA Compliance: Updates on the DOJ Rulings and Closed Captioning for Municipal Websites and PEG Channels. This came on the heels of last December when we held a special webinar about what might be coming about closed captioning. One fact stood out and resonated with attendees: start budgeting for it! At the conference, we discovered that there is now an official guideline with timelines and important information that we may all need to adhere to. Please visit the video link to view this vital workshop in its entirety. https://videoplayer.telvue.com/player/xdH7TjFGQnrU8xmITAT7CM11BmCF94gp/media/889741?fullscreen=false&showtabssearch=true&show_title_description_summary=true&autostart=false
The second topic discussed the value of Understanding Franchising and What to Know When Renegotiating. The audience learned about the main differences between a State Franchise and the ones negotiated at the municipal level, as well as determining which one is a better choice and when a municipality can express a preference. To learn and discover all sides from this comprehensive session, please click on this link: https://videoplayer.telvue.com/player/xdH7TjFGQnrU8xmITAT7CM11BmCF94gp/media/890385?fullscreen=false&showtabssearch=true&show_title_description_summary=true&autostart=false
From NATOA:
In June, the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted three resolutions at their 92nd Annual Meeting in Kansas City. They addressed communication space issues facing local governments and their residents. Topics included: ACP, mixed use and opposition to H.R. 3557. (See https://broadbandbreakfast.com/u-s-mayor-target-cable-broadband-revenue/.) Adoption was unanimous in committee and adopted by the membership.
The Mayors Conference also identified its policy priorities via the resolution process. Next year, mayors will focus their efforts on the following resolutions.
From NATOA:
Northern Dakota County Cable Communications Commission’s (NDC4) Mixed-Use Rule Filing: NDC4 Letter to the FCC Many American cities want 5% of cable’s broadband revenue, but the FCC’s Mixed-Use Rule is standing in the way. In a June 5, 2024 letter, the Northern Dakota County Cable Communications Commission (NDC4) called on the FCC to repeal the Mixed-Use Rule, saying the rule was undermining local efforts to expand broadband access and prevent digital discrimination. “The Mixed-Use Rule creates an arbitrary and unworkable patchwork of state and local regulation in which a state or local government that happens to also be a franchising authority has less authority than one that is not. The Mixed-Use Rule frustrates FCC and local efforts to ensure equitable access to quality, affordable broadband,” the NDC4 said. NDC4 is a Minnesota municipal joint powers cooperative formed by its member cities Inver Grove Heights, Lilydale, Mendota, Mendota Heights, South St. Paul, Sunfish Lake, and West St. Paul, Minn. and includes 91,500 people.
In another recent FCC filing, the city of Portland, OR calculated that the Mixed-Use rule was costing cities about $3.75 billion nationally in lost franchise fees.
On the continuing quest for states and local municipalities to be able to collect right-of-way fees from streaming services, our friends to our north have recently taken action.
From NATOA:
Canada demands 5% of revenue from Netflix, Spotify, and other streamers.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/06/canada-demands-5-of-revenue-from-netflix-spotify-and-other-streamers
The Path Forward – Supporting Canadian and Indigenous content through base contributions. Canada has ordered large online streaming services to pay 5% of their Canadian revenue to the government in a program expected to raise $200 million/year to support local news and other home-grown content. The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced its decision in the beginning of June, after a public comment period. These obligations will start during Canada’s 2024–2025 broadcast year which begins on September 1st. We will monitor and report more on this law as it progresses through the Canadian Providences and Territories.
The Protecting Community Television Act
For many years, public, educational and government (PEG) channels have given their viewers critical information about what’s going on in their specific communities and offer every local resident a chance to have their voices heard. In 2019 the federal communications commission proposed a new rule that would change the regulations and allow cable companies to shirk their obligations to the communities where they operate.
Fortunately, there is a bill that is awaiting action in both sides of Congress. The Protecting Community Television Act mandates that the franchise fees must be only monetary payments—non-monetary contributions would be allowed. To find out more about this rule and the two companion bills that can reverse it, please visit a special public service announcement that JAG put together on this important issue.
https://youtu.be/Vk13j5UYIgU
Posted: July 12, 2024 by Doug Seidel
OEM’s Increased Reliance on Drones and Live Technology
by Christine Federico Hoffman, producer/assistant director, Cranford TV
The increased use of drones and live video technology are becoming indispensable tools for emergency personnel when fighting crime and communicating to their citizens during emergencies.
In a special presentation by the Jersey Access Group (a consortium of local public access channels in New Jersey) members of police, fire and emergency management personnel told of their increased efficiency with these new advanced tools. The use of drones exponentially increases police effectiveness during events for crowd control, suspect tracking and firefighting. “We’ve gone from the Flintstones to the Jetsons,” said John Centanni, Emergency Management Coordinator for East Hanover Township.
The city of Elizabeth now has 15 trained drone pilots, said Luis Figueiredo, a detective in the Elizabeth Police Dept. Drones are sent out on about 30 to 40 calls daily. The city’s first responder drone has gone out on 1,400 calls since January. Drones are used to track fleeing suspects, some who thought they had lost the police but were then surprised to find them waiting at the next corner. Drones also are used to monitor large festivals to track potential problems and to allow officers immediately to assess the scope of a developing problem. Drones are even used on ordinary calls, such as fender benders.
“We can send our drone and see if the call is still there, and see if the call is more serious,” Figueiredo said. “If we get on scene quick (with the drone) we can already ask for a tow truck. The number of calls we do on a daily basis justifies the existence of the technology. We are able to cover a larger area in quicker response time. Say school is letting out or it’s rush hour. You can get on scene quicker and make better decisions.”
In one vivid example of the benefit of live drone technology, Figueiredo recounted fighting a large car carrier ship fire. Drones were used overhead to pinpoint the fire’s hot areas and to help firefighters direct their water streams. In the past, firefighters had to stand on surrounding structures to see which direction the fire was heading.
This live video technology is made possible through a company called Live U, which built its brand helping broadcast television deliver live images worldwide without the use of expensive satellite trucks. Live U bonds cellular service and Wi-Fi to create a strong video signal that is sent to the customer’s receiver. The technology also now is being embraced in emergency management circles.
Centanni said that multiple agencies in East Hanover joined to establish its drone team to use for emergency and informational purposes. Police joining forces with OEM, fire, EMS and DPW created more funding opportunities and increased the number of pilot personnel and shared equipment. “To make the program work, the municipality must buy into the idea wholly, and commit to training, updating equipment and streaming technologies.” he said.
Having a better command of the emergency situation also helps to strengthen a partnership between OEM and local public access stations, which have become critical in reaching citizens quickly with accurate information. Some local public access stations are sending out live broadcasts during emergencies as a link between their city’s authorities and citizens.
When a local popular food pantry burned to the ground in Piscataway, Mayor Brian C. Wahler appeared on Piscataway Community Television live to share facts and to calm citizens. Others, such as the City of Bloomfield, have streamed OEM meetings live before a major anticipated weather event to calm residents’ fears and to show officials working to keep everyone safe.
Municipalities have found this partnership to be beneficial and even essential during a time when many curious citizens turn to gossip on Facebook, which often contains inaccurate information. “It’s important to get good info out to the community quickly,” said Bob Duthaler, executive producer and partner at DNS Media Group and president of JAG. “Or else rumors grow.“
Bloomfield Fire Chief Louis Venezia said that releasing accurate information in a timely manner is increasing in importance. “I think just the hysteria from the bad information that develops from instant messaging from people…they could put any spin they want,” he said. “It could go anywhere from we have a possible breaking and entering to turning that into someone broke into someone’s house and we have a hostage situation. So, it cuts that short and gets out the real message. That real-time message that comes from an authority stifles a lot of concerns.”
Posted: July 12, 2024 by Doug Seidel
JAG Conference 2024: The Face of JAG
by Linda Besink, Treasurer
My role as JAG Treasurer entails many duties: some interesting, some tedious, but all important and integral to the functioning of JAG. The most visible and exciting is welcoming attendees at the annual JAG Conference. Assisting and answering questions is of great value to our members. It’s also rewarding to me in several ways.
One of my major duties as Treasurer is sending out invoices for annual member dues. I have gotten to know more of our members (and others responsible for paying invoices) as each year passes. Putting faces to names is invaluable to me. So, greeting members at the conference – in person — is an enormous help. Sometimes this is the only opportunity members have to begin a dialogue with JAG. In this, I have a unique position as a JAG Board member.
This year, I was able to have a conversation with Chuck Ricciardi of the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission. The Commission provided a booth at our conference, and as it turned out, Chuck told me that one of the previous interns at my community access facility now works at the Commission; they are very pleased with him. We were also sorry to lose this intern when he went on to college. It made my day to know that he has remained in the industry and that we had given him a start. It was a meaningful conversation.
I enjoyed seeing old friends in person and meeting new ones at the conference. Sincere thanks to all who attended! Vendor support:
Posted: July 12, 2024 by Doug Seidel
The 2024 Conference In Review
by Geoffrey Belinfante, Conference Committee, Vice Chair
Planning the JAG conference is like staging a high school musical. You and your colleagues work all year long on the musical (read “conference”), and all the events you’ve planned come and go so quickly that you barely have a chance to appreciate your hard work. That’s how I feel about this year’s JAG Conference and Awards dinner. While admittedly the day is a blur to me, I do remember some of the highlights and I have talked to lots of people who attended workshops that I could not so, by way of full disclosure, this article is based on personal observations and what I have heard from others.
By all measures, the 2024 Conference was a success. Attendance was up substantially from last year; the workshops were all well attended and every time I was on the exhibit floor there were people chatting at the booths. The day started out with two user groups where TelVue and Varto Technologies shared new developments for their respective technologies and answered operational questions from the assembled users. Both were full.
Next up was the showcase event of the morning, and perhaps of the entire day. People came from all over the state to attend the workshop sponsored by LiveU that featured technology that allows drone footage to be easily integrated into both Emergency Management operations and the towns TV channels. The example of the use of drone footage during last year’s Elizabeth Ship fire was particularly noteworthy.
Our lunchtime panel was just as advertised. A packed room heard from assembled experts who explained the importance of broadband in the future of television distribution in general, and local access TV distribution in particular. Valarry Bullard, Broadband Director, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities explained the importance of identifying the broadband “deserts” in your community and communicating their location to the BPU so your township can take advantage of the federal money that has been allocated by the Biden administration to provide broadband service to all.
Mike Wassener, President & CEO, Alliance for Community Media and JAG’s attorney Ken Fellman, Esq., founder and partner, Wilson Williams Fellman Dittman, emphasized the importance of making broadband available to all in the 21st century. With people cutting the cord and thereby loosing access to local town channels, we have to ensure that broadband service is available to all and that these channels are available on those broadband services. It’s part of what Mike called their “digital right,” and that right extends to their ability to access their townships PEG channel. It’s part of a new standard of governance in a democracy and every citizen should have the ability to view their government in action.
Providing access to inexpensive broadband service to all is key to that participation. Robert Boyle, CEO, Planet Networks, also made it clear that in the services he provides to township, there is always the willingness to provide the hyper local information that local stations provide to his subscribers. If there were any JAG members who didn’t understand why they should be concerned about Broadband deployment in their areas, they certainly understand now.
After our Broadband Panel, if anyone was wondering how they can reach every citizen in their town, including the cord-cutters, we offered a panel that discussed the new and different ways to reach all your citizens with broadband access but no cable service.
The Sessions
After lunch was the period when I was busy hosting workshops, so I’ll review the success of the panels I hosted–admittedly with my rather biased view of the three panels I moderated. The first was a panel presented by the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission, which is part of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, that was roughly based on a presentation that they have been giving to municipal officials across the state called “Making Your Municipality Film Ready.”
The objective of the presentation was to insure that visiting Film and Television productions companies can take full advantage of all that New Jersey has to offer without a lot of red tape to obtain the required permits. When Governor Murphy re-instituted the tax incentives for film and tv producers, the amount of production in the Garden State began to soar and now, with two major production facilities planned for the future, it will only continue to increase. Charles Riccardi, Operations & Creative Director & Elizabeth Parchment, Chief Marketing Officer from the commission emphasized the potential economic impact of a large film shoot for local businesses. One of the things that the commission recommended in their presentation was that a municipal employee be appointed as the principal point of contact for any producers interested in shooting in their town. It was suggested that it might be helpful if that person was someone who understood the needs of film and television production. What better person then someone involved in running the local access channel. As you can imagine, that got the attention of all those in the room.
For several years now, we have all expected to face the fact that the federal government will require that all forms of public meetings be closed-captioned. Those days are drawing closer as the Justice Department, rather than the FCC, begins to look to enforcing closed captioning under the Americans with Disabilities act. We presented two workshops on the subject, one by Mike Wassenaar, President & CEO, Alliance for Community Media and Jeff Bayne, partner, Spiegel & McDiarmid, that covered the activities of those in Washington who are charged with enforcing the ADA. The take away from this panel was that the mandate from Washington is coming, but it’s hard to predict exactly when. It’s likely that there will be a two-to-three-year grace period before the mandate kicks in.
We also presented a session to discuss the technical choices available to help stations to comply. Jesse Lerman, President/CEO, TelVue Corporation, took those present through the various ways to caption a live meeting. He also went into some detail about the solutions that TelVue offers to complete the task. Once again, those who attended understood what is require and how much it will cost when they have to comply.
Some stations may be facing the renewal of franchise agreements in the near future and that can be a stressful time for a municipality. Panelists Ken Fellman, Esq., founder and partner, Wilson Williams Fellman Dittman and Jeff Bayne, partner, Spiegel & McDiarmid were able to update station managers as to what to expect when they and/or their bosses sit down to negotiate with the various cable companies that service New Jersey. This also included a discussion about the statewide franchise agreement and what is included when a carrier opts for this kind of contract.
Simultaneously panelists Gina Forbes, Station Manager, Woodbridge TV; Jesse Lerman, President/CEO, TelVue Corporation; Joe Fernandes, Assistant Supervisor, Woodbridge TV; Brandon Uhlig, Station Manager, Metuchen Media, explored how to provide content to different distribution platforms. This provides new opportunities to enhance their programs. The session could have easily gone on for another hour as there were a number of questions that couldn’t be addressed and led to a rush to the panelist after the session ended.
Thanks to Don Smith’s contacts at News 12, we were able to present a very informative session on interviewing techniques featuring a former colleague of his, Kristina Behr, an Emmy award winning anchor and news reporter. The attendees had a number of questions relating to problems they had encountered that effected the quality of their program. They went away with some new tools and a better understanding of how to control an interview.
My last session concerned the unlikely places to look in your municipality for story ideas to enhance your local programming. Thanks to fellow panelists Anthony Pagliuco, Station Manager, East Brunswick TV; Gina Forbes, Station Manager, Woodbridge TV and Abby Wilson, Production Manager, C-NET, State College, PA, we presented sources of programming ideas that are readily available in most towns. While none of the ideas presented were particularly revolutionary, those who attended found it useful to see all these opportunities in one convenient place.
The final panel of the day discussed the availability of new and smaller equipment for use on remote shoots. Panelists Ed Cologna, Cologna Productions; Paul DeStefano, Northeast Regional Sales Manager, DeSisti and Yervant Keshishian, Sales Engineer, Varto Technologies addressed streamlining your workflow in the field by minimizing gear to significantly enhance efficiency and make your work more manageable.
What an afternoon. My head is still processing an amazing collection of information. The committee deserves a round of applause for providing a diverse array of sessions with knowledgeable panelists.
The end of the day brought a raffle for all those who stayed for the duration, a cocktail reception with some tasty passed hors d’oeuvres. Thanks to Cologna Productions, TelVue and Varto Technologies for providing items. This was a great time to network with attendees and vendors and relax after a full day of sessions. But there was still the final event of the conference to attend. Soon we would celebrate the work of the members of JAG.
The Banquet
And of course it was soon time to celebrate and recognize outstanding achievements and the presentation of the JAG Awards. First the “Serving Community Media Award” was presented to Ken Fellman for his years of assistance as counsel to JAG. This award consisted of an engraved cake serving set that Ken used to ceremoniously cut a cake that was then served to the community media representatives that were present.
Next, JAG presented the “Legislator of the Year Award” to Senator Cory Booker for his continued help in supporting the survival of local access TV. The plaque read:
Although Senator Booker could not attend, he sent a wonderful video message about JAG. https://youtu.be/Mba7WMrhSOY
JAG also presents a Community Recognition Award to recognize a local official whose effort in New Jersey strengthens JAG’s value. This year JAG recognized Lisa Allen, Council President, City of Summit for her many years of support. The Plaque read:
Nick Besink received the “JAG Members Recognition Award” for all the great work he has done to spread the importance of JAG membership to towns all over Bergen County.
The award read:
The President’s Ovation Awards were given to Dave Garb for the work he’s done as chair of the Legislative Committee including visiting NJ legislative representatives in Washington on behalf of all JAG members; and finally to yours truly for my work as the chair of JAG’s External Relations Committee I am truly grateful. The award read:
The JAG Awards followed and I am always impressed by the quality of the productions that win the Awards of Excellence. This year was no exception. The 25 awards spanned the largest group of stations ever, a clear indication that local access is growing in New Jersey. While it came and went faster than I would have liked, this year’s conference was a great success. Thanks to all our loyal sponsors: TelVue, Varto Technologies, LiveU, Planet Networks, DeSisti and Cologna Productions for their continuing support. If you missed it this year, be on the lookout for the details of next year’s Conference. Don’t miss it!
Posted: July 12, 2024 by Doug Seidel
Legislative Update June 2024: News from Trenton & Washington, DC
by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
For this month’s newsletter, we will continue the discussion about current federal actions that have been enacted which will have an effect on how local governments provide information on the internet for those with disabilities. We will also explore the latest law that reforms New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act—something that has been long overdue.
DOJ’s ADA Rule for State and Local Governments
From NATOA:
On April 8th, Attorney General Merrick Garland signed a final rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure the accessibility of web content and mobile applications (apps) for people with disabilities.
To find out exactly what this ruling means to municipalities and PEG channels specifically, JAG presented an informative session about this very subject during its annual conference in May. The panel guests were Michael Wassenaar, President of the Alliance for Community Media (ACM) and Jeff Bayne, Partner at the law firm of Spiegel & McDiarmid, LLP. This revealing forum opened up the attendees eyes and ears to what was to come and what they need to do to prepare for it.
State and local governments provide many of their services, programs and activities through websites and mobile apps. When these websites and mobile apps are not accessible, they can create barriers for people with disabilities. Requirements for accessibility helps to make sure everyone has access to fully participate in all civic happenings or other community events like town meetings or programs at their child’s school.
To understand how everyone can become compliant, review the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1, Level AA, which can be found by visiting the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These regulations are the technical standards for state and local governments’ web content and mobile apps and will guide these demands. Further information can also be found on these other useful sites:
https://www.ada.gov/notices/2024/03/08/web-rule
Click to access web-rule.pdf
https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag
One such requirement is for the captioning on videos that are shown on the web. Yes, this means PEG stations that utilize the internet to transmit or showcase their programming (Live-streaming, Video-On-Demand, etc.). Besides this, there were some other unexpected rules that were also added to make our heads spin.
We reminded everyone last December to start budgeting for this, and now we all must figure it out. Fortunately we have a little bit of time to prepare. The timeline below shows the compliance deadlines.
This table shows how much time a state or local government have to comply with this rule.
In the very near future, this session will be available to watch in its entirety. Where to view it will be discussed in an upcoming newsletter.
Reform to the Open Public Records Act (OPRA)
From the NJLM:
On June 5th, Governor Murphy signed into law legislation to modernize and reform the Open Public Records Act (OPRA).
This new law will take effect just after Labor Day. It is imperative to remember that the existing requirements of OPRA remain in effect and the new provisions will not apply to OPRA requests submitted before the effective date.
In a statement, the governor acknowledged that his decision to sign the bill would disappoint many advocates but if he “believed that this bill would enable corruption in any way, I would unhesitatingly veto it.” The Governor noted that “OPRA has not been the subject of any type of comprehensive update until now. Today’s world is very different than 2002, a time when the Internet was far less ubiquitous and there was vastly less access to individuals’ personal information.” Governor Murphy also stated that “After a thorough examination of the provisions of the bill, I am persuaded that the changes, viewed comprehensively, are relatively modest.”
Governor Murphy also stated that “Over a hundred mayors from both parties have asked for it to be enacted into law. I understand that some may view this support cynically, but I do not believe it is fair to dismiss an overwhelming bipartisan consensus from local elected officials. Serving in local elected office is a deeply thankless and glamour-free job, and I have consistently found mayors from both parties to be dedicated and hard-working public servants. Mayors subject themselves to constant scrutiny by their neighbors and their very own communities, especially in the age of social media, and I simply reject the idea that those calling for the bill’s passage are part of a nefarious plot to evade transparency and accountability.”
“The bill encourages public records to be placed on agency websites to the extent feasible, so they will be readily accessible even without an OPRA request, and appropriate funds to support those efforts. Furthermore, if the requestor is referred to the public agency’s website, the bill requires that the agency assist requestors in locating those records. The bill also provides additional flexibility for submitting requests by allowing their submission via form, letter, or email. With regard to personal information, the bill takes a number of positive steps. It defines personal identifying information and specifically adds new protections for month and day of birth, personal email addresses, the street address portion of a person’s primary or secondary home address, information about minors, and information protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)”.
This new law will take effect in 90 days, just after Labor Day. It is imperative to remember that the existing requirements of OPRA remain in effect and the new provisions will not apply to OPRA requests submitted before the effective date. Please visit the following link to review a special handout that was created by the New Jersey League of Municipalities to help everyone understand OPRA and the changes to it.
Posted: May 14, 2024 by Doug Seidel
JAG’s Annual Conference Is Here – May 2024
by Geoffrey Belinfante, Conference Committee, Vice Chair
As the opening to the old soap opera declares: Like sand in an hourglass, so are the days of our lives. Well, those sands will soon run out, so if you haven’t signed up for the 2024 JAG Conference yet, you are rapidly running out of time. The conference is set to kick off at 8:00am on Thursday May 16 at the Crowne Plaza in Edison. And, if you’re not there, you’ll miss some exciting and informative sessions—not to mention a chance to socialize and network with both your fellow JAG Members and the teams from our Organizational Members.
USER GROUPS
The day starts with two users groups that you won’t want to miss. The first from TelVue starts at 8:00am and will showcase the latest improvements to the hardware and services that they provide—and best of all, breakfast will be provided.
This users group is followed by a similar users group presentation at 9:00am by Varto Technologies that will address improvements to Tri-caster technology and NDI distribution—and there will be breakfast at this users group too.
EXHIBITOR
After the user groups, visit our exhibit floor, which opens at 9:00am and also offers the opportunity to have breakfast with our organizational partners. You can hear first-hand about the technical advancements they are offering. Members exhibiting include: TelVue, Varto Technologies, Cologna Productions, DeSisti Lighting, NewTek-TriCaster, LiveU, MyCaseBuilder, NJ Film Commission, Swit Electronics, Eiki Projectors & Panel Audio, JVC,G&G Technologies, Panasonic PTZ, Canon PTZ, and US-made Drones
SPECIAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SESSION
At 10:00am we have a very interesting and informative panel presented by LiveU about their newly developed technology that helps facilitate communications between your office of emergency management (OEM) and your station during a crisis. This panel is important for both PEG station management and members of your municipality’s OEM. Both are invited to join us for this free workshop, so please invite anyone from your town who would be appropriate. Panelists include: Alex Joice, VP of Solution Sales Engineering, LiveU; John Centanni, OEM Director of East Hanover; Louis Venezia, Bloomfield Fire Chief; Luis Figueiredo, Detective Elizabeth Police Dept.; Doug Seidel, Piscataway, TV; Yervant Keshishian, Sales Engineer, Authorized Trainer and Technical Director, Varto Technologies; Moderator: Bob Duthaler, President of JAG.
LUNCH PROGRAM
Our luncheon comes next with a panel that addresses the importance of broadband deployment and what it means for the distribution of cable television in general and more specifically PEG channels. Panelists include: Robert Boyle, CEO, Planet Networks; Mike Wassenaar, President & CEO, Alliance for Community Media; Ken Fellman Esq., founder and partner, Wilson Williams Fellman Dittman; Valarry Bullard, Broadband Director, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities; Moderator: Bob Duthaler, President, JAG.
SESSIONS
After lunch you’ll have some decisions to make. At 1:30pm you can attend a panel on ADA Compliance and the initiatives from the DOJ in Washington that might require you to close caption your public meetings sooner rather than later.
Or you might want to check out a presentation from the NJ Motion Picture & Television Commission on the explosion of both theatrical and documentary production in the state and how your municipality and your station can benefit from all the money that production companies are spending in the state.
At 2:30pm there are more choices. One panel will explore new ways to communicate with your citizens, and a second will unravel the complex and ever-changing things you should know when renegotiating your franchise agreement with your cable provider.
3:30pm brings two more interesting and informative workshops to choose from—one on interviewing techniques that are sure to improve any production, and a second that explores the technical options available to help you conform to any closed captioning regulations that might come out of Washington.
Finally at 4:30pm, to end a busy and informative day there are two more panels to choose from. For those interested in the technical side of the business, we’ll explore some new, lighter and less expensive choices for your location shots. And for those interested in programing, we’ll explore new and unusual sources that you might have overlooked for show ideas.
For more information on any or all of these workshops and the names and bios of our presenters, please check out the conference website at www.jagconference.com .
RECEPTION AND BANQUET
Now that the work has been done, it’s time to socialize and network with your fellow attendees. There’s a cocktail party sponsored by Cologna Productions starting at 5:30, followed by our banquet and JAG Awards presentation sponsored by Varto Technologies and LiveU.
The evening includes presentations of our Legislator of the Year Award to Senator Cory Booker and the Community Recognition Award to Lisa Allen, Council President, City of Summit. Additional awards include Serving Community Media Award, the President’s Ovation Award, and JAG Member Recognition Award. Followed, of course, by the presentation of the JAG Awards recognizing excellence in PEG programming.
Thanks to our sponsors, TelVue, Varto, Planet Networks, LiveU, Cologna Productions and DeSisti for their support, and thanks to all those on the conference committee who have worked so hard to present you, the members of JAG, an exciting and informative conference. We need the support of all members to make this a success. Please join us.
Reminder, if you have interns, they can attend for free. If your township won’t pay for your attendance, scholarships are available. Please contact Bob Duthaler. We want as many JAG members as possible to take advantage of the events at this conference!
Registration is now open at Shop – JAG Conference
For more information and session details, visit www.jagconference.com.