Some of you may remember starting out back in the day and the fun and excitement of creating new local programming. Discovering local talent in town to announce your sports coverage or become reporters and interviewing your neighbors so they can tune in to their cable channel and watch themselves. Convincing your mayor and council that yes, people will watch. Or maybe you remember the frustration of carrying those heavy cameras the size of a microwave and attached to an even heavier tape deck that recorded a whopping twenty minutes of footage on U-matic cassettes. If you were lucky, maybe you had a production assistant watching the audio meter and time remaining. The frustration of working all day on your deck-to-deck edit only to have the boss ask if you can add a section in the middle. Or hear the awful sound of the pinch roller crunching the tape sending the deck into warning. What is a pinch roller anyway???
December; what a wonderful time of the year; the winter solstice; the music; the lights; the food; and most importantly, everybody gathering together, sharing good tidings, warm embraces, and hunkering down around a video monitor agonizing over what to choose for the JAG Awards.
JAG held another session at the New Jersey League of Municipalities Conference this past November. I was lucky enough to do this session with Geoffrey Belinfante. Our goal was to illustrate the different emerging trends and communication tools to effectively engage residents beyond a traditional access channel.
Last month JAG, the Jersey Access Group, had the distinct pleasure of presenting a special joint session with the League of Municipalities at their annual conference. It was on the Broadband Grants and Funding opportunities that was created from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which was approved last year by the federal government.
This is the second year I attended the New Jersey State League of Municipalities convention. It is also the second time I have had the honor to speak on the JAG panel on a topic that I am so passionate about and have dedicated the last 29 years of my life to making it a reality with Planet Networks – fast, reliable, and affordable Internet access for all – especially those in chronically underserved areas.
The Holiday Season is underway, starting with Thanksgiving and ending with the New Year just a few weeks away. Every year at my house, the kids get ready to celebrate Christmas and they (ok, me too!) start working on their Christmas List! The same can be said for running your station or JAG as an organization.
Following the Money: Accessing Broadband Funding”
JAG and the NJ League of Municipalities present a joint session that explains how to access broadband funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Last year the Federal Government approved $65B to improve broadband deployment and adoption. This funding will flow to states for distribution.
During this session, our expert panel discusses how municipalities can apply for grants and use
funds at the local level. The panel is hosted by Mayor Brian Wahler of Piscataway Township. Other panelists include Valarry Bullard, Broadband Advisor to Governor Murphy; Joseph Rivera, Manager of Broadband Access – NJ BPU; Ken Fellman, Esq. Of Counsel, Helmer, Conley, & Kasselman, P.C.; Robert Boyle, CEO Planet Networks; and Bob Duthaler, JAG President.
By Joel Feinberg, Chief Executive Officer, de Wolfe Music USA Inc.
De Wolfe Music was founded in 1909 by Meyer de Wolfe. Now at 113 years old, we are a full-service music company offering a production music library, custom composition, sound effects, and commercial music clearance services. Although the company is still independent and family-run, de Wolfe has achieved worldwide recognition and our music can be heard in countless films, TV shows, advertisements, and more.
By Monica Jackson, Station Manager, Highland Park Television
The broadcasting of video recordings of Highland Park, NJ public meetings by HPTV is an accepted fact in the Borough and a well-regarded public service. Yet it may surprise some observers to hear that the development of the channel was by no means simple or amply supported.
Running an effective and efficient station can be a challenging job. The degree of difficulty also changes depending upon your ability to spend time at your station. Some stations have the luxury of a paid station manager who oversees the operation on a daily basis. Others must rely on volunteers or boards to operate them successfully. Some are even a combination of both. However it is that your station is staffed, you need tools to help you successfully operate. JAG understand this. With this in mind, JAG is announcing our Manager’s Roundtable Discussions for 2023. These are special virtual meetings designed specifically for those who are involved in the oversight and operation of the PEG channel.
Posted: December 19, 2022 by bduthaler
PEG Stations—Then, Now, and Into the Future
By Dave Ambrosy, Station Manager, East Brunswick
Some of you may remember starting out back in the day and the fun and excitement of creating new local programming. Discovering local talent in town to announce your sports coverage or become reporters and interviewing your neighbors so they can tune in to their cable channel and watch themselves. Convincing your mayor and council that yes, people will watch. Or maybe you remember the frustration of carrying those heavy cameras the size of a microwave and attached to an even heavier tape deck that recorded a whopping twenty minutes of footage on U-matic cassettes. If you were lucky, maybe you had a production assistant watching the audio meter and time remaining. The frustration of working all day on your deck-to-deck edit only to have the boss ask if you can add a section in the middle. Or hear the awful sound of the pinch roller crunching the tape sending the deck into warning. What is a pinch roller anyway???
Posted: December 19, 2022 by bduthaler
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD; ENTER THE JAG AWARDS
by George Fairfield, JAG Awards Committee, Chair
JAG AWARDS OPEN JANUARY 1, 2023!
JAG AWARDS CLOSE FEBRUARY 28, 2023!
December; what a wonderful time of the year; the winter solstice; the music; the lights; the food; and most importantly, everybody gathering together, sharing good tidings, warm embraces, and hunkering down around a video monitor agonizing over what to choose for the JAG Awards.
Posted: December 19, 2022 by bduthaler
Beyond Cable: New Ways To Communicate With Your Citizens
by Bob Duthaler, Executive Board, Chair
JAG held another session at the New Jersey League of Municipalities Conference this past November. I was lucky enough to do this session with Geoffrey Belinfante. Our goal was to illustrate the different emerging trends and communication tools to effectively engage residents beyond a traditional access channel.
Posted: December 19, 2022 by bduthaler
TWO “Calls To Action”
Last month JAG, the Jersey Access Group, had the distinct pleasure of presenting a special joint session with the League of Municipalities at their annual conference. It was on the Broadband Grants and Funding opportunities that was created from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which was approved last year by the federal government.
Posted: December 19, 2022 by bduthaler
Broadband in New Jersey
by Robert Boyle, Founder and CEO, Planet Networks
This is the second year I attended the New Jersey State League of Municipalities convention. It is also the second time I have had the honor to speak on the JAG panel on a topic that I am so passionate about and have dedicated the last 29 years of my life to making it a reality with Planet Networks – fast, reliable, and affordable Internet access for all – especially those in chronically underserved areas.
Posted: November 28, 2022 by Doug Seidel
Following the Money: Accessing Broadband Funding
Following the Money: Accessing Broadband Funding”
JAG and the NJ League of Municipalities present a joint session that explains how to access broadband funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Last year the Federal Government approved $65B to improve broadband deployment and adoption. This funding will flow to states for distribution.
During this session, our expert panel discusses how municipalities can apply for grants and use
funds at the local level. The panel is hosted by Mayor Brian Wahler of Piscataway Township. Other panelists include Valarry Bullard, Broadband Advisor to Governor Murphy; Joseph Rivera, Manager of Broadband Access – NJ BPU; Ken Fellman, Esq. Of Counsel, Helmer, Conley, & Kasselman, P.C.; Robert Boyle, CEO Planet Networks; and Bob Duthaler, JAG President.
Posted: November 7, 2022 by bduthaler
Enhancing Your Programming with Music
By Joel Feinberg, Chief Executive Officer, de Wolfe Music USA Inc.
De Wolfe Music was founded in 1909 by Meyer de Wolfe. Now at 113 years old, we are a full-service music company offering a production music library, custom composition, sound effects, and commercial music clearance services. Although the company is still independent and family-run, de Wolfe has achieved worldwide recognition and our music can be heard in countless films, TV shows, advertisements, and more.
Posted: November 7, 2022 by bduthaler
Spotlight: HPTV – A History of HPTV
By Monica Jackson, Station Manager, Highland Park Television
The broadcasting of video recordings of Highland Park, NJ public meetings by HPTV is an accepted fact in the Borough and a well-regarded public service. Yet it may surprise some observers to hear that the development of the channel was by no means simple or amply supported.
Posted: November 7, 2022 by bduthaler
Operational Benefits For Station Managers
By Bob Duthaler, Executive Board, Chair
Running an effective and efficient station can be a challenging job. The degree of difficulty also changes depending upon your ability to spend time at your station. Some stations have the luxury of a paid station manager who oversees the operation on a daily basis. Others must rely on volunteers or boards to operate them successfully. Some are even a combination of both. However it is that your station is staffed, you need tools to help you successfully operate. JAG understand this. With this in mind, JAG is announcing our Manager’s Roundtable Discussions for 2023. These are special virtual meetings designed specifically for those who are involved in the oversight and operation of the PEG channel.