I hope this message finds you all well as we embrace the month of February. It’s an honor to connect with you through our monthly newsletter and share some updates and reflections on the incredible work that JAG continues to do in promoting access and community engagement. Let’s hope the Groundhog was right and spring is just around the corner.
by Tara Berson and Raven Rentas, Township of Middletown
Home to 68,000 residents, Middletown Township is one of the largest municipalities in New Jersey. Due to the size of our community and diverse age ranges, interests, and neighborhoods, it is important for the Township to offer various ways for residents to access information. One of those communications tools has been our municipal TV channel which has changed over the years, particularly with the addition of our brand new TV studio this year. We had the opportunity to work with experts in the industry who helped guide the project from beginning to end.
The JAG Conference Committee has begun meeting. We have elected the officers of the committee: Bob Duthaler, Chair, Rick Gearhart, Secretary and Linda Besink, Treasurer. The first items discussed were establishing the costs to attend, developing a schedule of events, and creating a list of potential sessions. Panelists will include representatives from NATOA, the ACM and JAG’s Organizational Members.
Closed Captioning and Web Accessibility Requirementsfor Local Governments
Where it Currently Stands for PEG
The Americans with Disability Act has compliance obligations for local government accessibility for websites, video streaming, and even cable broadcasting.
While the FCC has long excluded community television from captioning requirements, the Department of Justice, state governments, and private citizens have renewed a push to require captioning for all types of video content, and particularly those found on the internet.
In the dynamic sphere of local government, transparency and accessibility are paramount. Ensuring the public has real-time access to government meetings is a critical function of communication teams and video specialists. The challenges of network streaming video are magnified in this setting, where reliability and security are non-negotiable. This is where Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) streaming becomes an invaluable tool.
I am happy to report that the JAG Board of Trustees had their annual meeting on Wednesday, January 9th, setting the course not only for this year but for the future of the organization. This is made possible by the great input we receive over the course of the year from our members. Some of these comments are brought up at monthly meetings, during our annual conference or in emails. It is only through input and feedback from our members that the board can fully understand what is on the minds of our members and help this organization move forward. I encourage all members to continue to be involved, provide feedback and support the organization.
It seems these days we need to set our cameras higher and higher just to achieve a clear shot over a sea of raised cell phones – camera operators cannot be afraid of heights! More on that later.
Tis the season to begin getting your JAG Award entries ready for submission…even more so than in prior years, because there are several changes that will affect your registration and submission.
Hard to believe that yet another year is coming to a close. It’s been a busy year for JAG on both the legislative and operational ends. For me it also signifies the fact that my 15th year as JAG President is also coming to an end. However, I choose to look at all this as a new beginning. The beginning of a new year for JAG, the beginning of the twenty-fourth year of JAG’s existence and the beginning of the reorganization of the JAG board at the upcoming Trustee Meeting in January.
Posted: January 22, 2024 by Doug Seidel
Spotlight: Middletown Township Builds TV Studio in New Town Hall
by Tara Berson and Raven Rentas, Township of Middletown
Home to 68,000 residents, Middletown Township is one of the largest municipalities in New Jersey. Due to the size of our community and diverse age ranges, interests, and neighborhoods, it is important for the Township to offer various ways for residents to access information. One of those communications tools has been our municipal TV channel which has changed over the years, particularly with the addition of our brand new TV studio this year. We had the opportunity to work with experts in the industry who helped guide the project from beginning to end.
Posted: January 22, 2024 by Doug Seidel
JAG’s Annual Conference
by Bob Duthaler, Conference Committee Chair
The JAG Conference Committee has begun meeting. We have elected the officers of the committee: Bob Duthaler, Chair, Rick Gearhart, Secretary and Linda Besink, Treasurer. The first items discussed were establishing the costs to attend, developing a schedule of events, and creating a list of potential sessions. Panelists will include representatives from NATOA, the ACM and JAG’s Organizational Members.
Posted: January 22, 2024 by Doug Seidel
Legislative Update January 2024: News from Washington DC
by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
Closed Captioning and Web Accessibility Requirements for Local Governments
Where it Currently Stands for PEG
The Americans with Disability Act has compliance obligations for local government accessibility for websites, video streaming, and even cable broadcasting.
While the FCC has long excluded community television from captioning requirements, the Department of Justice, state governments, and private citizens have renewed a push to require captioning for all types of video content, and particularly those found on the internet.
Posted: January 22, 2024 by Doug Seidel
Enhancing Public Access to Government Meetings with SRT Streaming
by Dana Healy, Vice President, Sales, Cablecast
In the dynamic sphere of local government, transparency and accessibility are paramount. Ensuring the public has real-time access to government meetings is a critical function of communication teams and video specialists. The challenges of network streaming video are magnified in this setting, where reliability and security are non-negotiable. This is where Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) streaming becomes an invaluable tool.
Posted: December 15, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Spotlight: Edison – Rising Above the Crowd in Edison
By Michael D’Amato, Station Manager, Edison TV
It seems these days we need to set our cameras higher and higher just to achieve a clear shot over a sea of raised cell phones – camera operators cannot be afraid of heights! More on that later.
Posted: December 15, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Happy “JAGmas” Season!
by George Fairfield, JAG Awards Committee, Chair
Tis the season to begin getting your JAG Award entries ready for submission…even more so than in prior years, because there are several changes that will affect your registration and submission.
Posted: December 15, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Legislative Update December 2023: News from Washington DC
by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
Closed Captioning / ADA Requirements
Where it Currently Stands for PEG
Recently, there has been concern regarding the Closed Captioning of PEG programming, and if the PEG community will be mandated to offer captioning.
Our partners at the Alliance for Community Media have some thoughts to ponder about where things currently stand on this issue.