New York City has a step-brother, and it’s called Newark. The locals call it “Nork.” Newark is New Jersey’s largest city by population, known for its vibrant arts scene and one of America’s oldest. It was founded in 1666 by Connecticut Puritans and led by Robert Treat.
This past June, a newsletter was sent to inform you of a bill that was passed out of the Congressional House Energy and Commerce Committee, titled the American Broadband Deployment Act of 2023(H.R. 3557). JAG, along with our national partners, believe this bill would be a serious detriment to every municipality in our state.
We have learned at the end of September that the Committee’s Majority leadership has shared a draft committee report to go along with H.R. 3557. This is typically the next step in the process for bills going to the Rules Committee and eventually the House floor sooner, not later.
In the heart of Newark, New Jersey, an exciting development in the world of PEG (Public, Educational, and Government) broadcasting is about to unfold. Cologna Productions, a local media company known for its innovative approach to broadcasting, is set to take center stage at the next Jersey Access Group (JAG) meeting. The focal point of their presentation? A groundbreaking platform they’ve been developing for the past two years, aptly named NJGOVTV.
This is not a US Army campaign to get you to enlist, rather it is JAG’s plea for you to run for a Trustee position. Each year several JAG Trustee positions expire, and we look to the membership to run and fill these positions. This year is no exception, as three positions are set to expire at the end of December 2023.
Working in Municipal and Community Television can sometimes be a thankless job —long meetings, municipal bureaucracy, aging equipment, and angry residents—they all come with the job. I suppose we all do it for different reasons, but I guess many of our members find it rewarding because they contribute to their stations year after year. For many, it’s like performing a public service–providing information to residents, allowing greater governmental transparency, and documenting the history of the towns we represent.
by Linda Besink, Treasurer, Finance Committee, Chair
I believe the world is populated with two kinds of people: those who love numbers, and those who haven’t discovered their magic yet.
Trust me, JAG is not doing business in millions of dollars… at least not yet. But do you know what follows a million, a billion, and a trillion? Much like the names of our months, they are: a quadrillion, a quintillion, a sextillion, a septillion, an octillion, a nonillion, and a decillion.
The fifth commissioner issue at the FCC has finally been settled. On September 7th, 2023, the US Senate confirmed Anna Gomez with bipartisan support, to serve on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Gomez was confirmed 55-43, with Independents and Republicans crossing the aisle.
One of the many great things we do at JAG is to educate our membership. There are several ways we accomplish this. We produce a monthly newsletter, monthly legislative newsletter, monthly membership meetings, annual conference and special online webinars and round table discussions. These online sessions can be an asset to both your station operations and your production skills.
By Mark Albala, Vice Chairman, TV Committee, Oakland, New Jersey
Many of you do not know that the borough of Oakland was the test case for Altice’s HD service for municipal broadcasts. The purpose of this article is to present the two-year journey of the dedicated team of volunteers, who partnered with Oakland’s elected officials and ultimately obtained permission from Altice to broadcast HD quality municipal coverage over Altice.
by Ed Cologna, Station Manager, Newark, Roselle, Fanwood, and Hillside TV
PEG Media Changed My Life
A long time ago, in 1990, I lived as a young man in my twenties who didn’t know what to do career-wise. I wasn’t affluent, drove a really beat-up car, lived in my mom’s basement, and fixed electronic equipment on the side. I had the potential of youth, although like many twenty-somethings, I didn’t even realize that until later. I applied for the FBI as a communication specialist but didn’t take the job once it was offered. It wasn’t for me. I wanted to help build the future of America’s energy and was hoping to work on the superconducting supercollider project in Texas, which promised to be the basis of fusion reaction technology.
Posted: October 18, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Spotlight: Newark – Understanding Your Town: Identifying the Opportunities
By Ed Cologna, Newark TV, Station Manager
New York City has a step-brother, and it’s called Newark. The locals call it “Nork.” Newark is New Jersey’s largest city by population, known for its vibrant arts scene and one of America’s oldest. It was founded in 1666 by Connecticut Puritans and led by Robert Treat.
Posted: October 18, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Legislative Update October 2023: Updates and Reminders About H.R. 3557
by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
Senate confirms Anna Gomez to FCC
The American Broadband Deployment Act of 2023
This past June, a newsletter was sent to inform you of a bill that was passed out of the Congressional House Energy and Commerce Committee, titled the American Broadband Deployment Act of 2023 (H.R. 3557). JAG, along with our national partners, believe this bill would be a serious detriment to every municipality in our state.
We have learned at the end of September that the Committee’s Majority leadership has shared a draft committee report to go along with H.R. 3557. This is typically the next step in the process for bills going to the Rules Committee and eventually the House floor sooner, not later.
Posted: October 18, 2023 by Doug Seidel
NJGOVTV: Revolutionizing PEG Broadcasting with a Difference
by Ed Cologna, Cologna Productions, Pres.
In the heart of Newark, New Jersey, an exciting development in the world of PEG (Public, Educational, and Government) broadcasting is about to unfold. Cologna Productions, a local media company known for its innovative approach to broadcasting, is set to take center stage at the next Jersey Access Group (JAG) meeting. The focal point of their presentation? A groundbreaking platform they’ve been developing for the past two years, aptly named NJGOVTV.
Posted: September 21, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Spotlight: West Milford – Why We Do It
By Geoffrey Belinfante, External Relations, Chair
Working in Municipal and Community Television can sometimes be a thankless job —long meetings, municipal bureaucracy, aging equipment, and angry residents—they all come with the job. I suppose we all do it for different reasons, but I guess many of our members find it rewarding because they contribute to their stations year after year. For many, it’s like performing a public service–providing information to residents, allowing greater governmental transparency, and documenting the history of the towns we represent.
Posted: September 21, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Understanding the Finance Committee
by Linda Besink, Treasurer, Finance Committee, Chair
I believe the world is populated with two kinds of people: those who love numbers, and those who haven’t discovered their magic yet.
Trust me, JAG is not doing business in millions of dollars… at least not yet. But do you know what follows a million, a billion, and a trillion? Much like the names of our months, they are: a quadrillion, a quintillion, a sextillion, a septillion, an octillion, a nonillion, and a decillion.
Posted: September 21, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Legislative Update September 2023: News from Washington DC
by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
Senate confirms Anna Gomez to FCC
The fifth commissioner issue at the FCC has finally been settled. On September 7th, 2023, the US Senate confirmed Anna Gomez with bipartisan support, to serve on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Gomez was confirmed 55-43, with Independents and Republicans crossing the aisle.
Posted: August 18, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Spotlight Oakland: How Oakland, New Jersey became Altice’s test case for HD broadcast service
By Mark Albala, Vice Chairman, TV Committee, Oakland, New Jersey
Many of you do not know that the borough of Oakland was the test case for Altice’s HD service for municipal broadcasts. The purpose of this article is to present the two-year journey of the dedicated team of volunteers, who partnered with Oakland’s elected officials and ultimately obtained permission from Altice to broadcast HD quality municipal coverage over Altice.
Posted: August 18, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Weaving the Threads of Community: My Journey with PEG Media
by Ed Cologna, Station Manager, Newark, Roselle, Fanwood, and Hillside TV
PEG Media Changed My Life
A long time ago, in 1990, I lived as a young man in my twenties who didn’t know what to do career-wise. I wasn’t affluent, drove a really beat-up car, lived in my mom’s basement, and fixed electronic equipment on the side. I had the potential of youth, although like many twenty-somethings, I didn’t even realize that until later. I applied for the FBI as a communication specialist but didn’t take the job once it was offered. It wasn’t for me. I wanted to help build the future of America’s energy and was hoping to work on the superconducting supercollider project in Texas, which promised to be the basis of fusion reaction technology.