A bill was recently passed out of the Congressional House Energy and Commerce Committee, titled the American Broadband Deployment Act of 2023 (H.R. 3557). We at JAG, along with our national partners, believe this bill would be a serious detriment to every municipality in our state and everyone needs to be aware of it and why it must be stopped.
This bill imposes new restrictions on local authorities regarding their ability to regulate a variety of state and local land use and zoning issues that pertain to the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure, including wireless and wireline deployment, as well as new limits on requirements and renewals of cable franchise agreements.
I have had the chance over these last few weeks to speak to a lot of our JAG Members and the one thing I keep hearing is how busy they are, especially this time of year. The first thing I say is… I know exactly what you mean. The second thing I always say is, I’m glad. I am glad to be busy and I am glad you are. That means we are all out there covering the things that need to be brought to attention in our communities and making a big difference. So, with that in mind, I am going to give you a few excerpts from past articles and links to them for you to read the entire article. I believe the things I have mentioned and talked about cannot be stressed enough. So enjoy being busy, enjoy the summer and when you get a chance, however brief as it may be, relax and wind down!
Every Great Video we produce has to have a story. My name is Caz. Bielen, Chief Creative Officer of Premiere Media and CazTV. I immigrated to the US when I was 8 years old. I never had a TV in Poland. My first TV was a black and white set, where I learned English watching Magilla Gorilla, The Adventures of Superman, Little Rascals and I Love Lucy reruns There were also the annual viewings of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Wizard of Oz. I did not know it was in color till I was in my late teens. But I loved the stories and the lighting, the effect that made these characters come to life.
2023 CONGRATULATIONS! Documentary NEWTV, The 55th Anniversary of the Newark Rebellion 1st APTV, Sir, I Exist: A Life of Stephen Crane 2nd WBTV35, Meet the Artist on Main: Joe Messick 3rd Instructional & Training WBTV35, Charge Point Charging Station 1st WBMATV, Bloomfield Fire Department Safety Tips 2nd PREMEIRE, Police Records at Hillsborough New Jersey 3rd …
by Jesse Lerman, President & CEO, TelVue Corporation
It was great to see everyone at this year’s annual JAG conference in Edison, which felt like a “coming home” of sorts, refocusing the lens back on the core New Jersey station operators and members, the real heart and soul of JAG and where TelVue got its start in community media nearly 20 years ago! The new layout, with vendor exhibit booths inside the large group ballroom, afforded better opportunities to mingle with customers and showcase products during breaks, yet also remain an important presence during the larger panel presentations. It created a very inclusive environment for vendors and customers alike, a welcome return and grateful exit from the social distancing and virtual trade show era.
by Mike Lynch, Legislative & Regulatory Affairs Director, NATOA
Thank you, Jersey Access Group, for inviting me to participate in the 2023 Conference! On behalf of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), I’ve got to tell you….I had a blast! You’re a dynamic organization with great leadership from folks like Bob Duthaler, Stephanie Gibbons, Dave Garb, Don Smith and, of course, Rich Desimone. To Rich: Thanks for your years of collaboration and teamwork as both NATOA and JAG moved forward in the ever-changing world of cable & broadband.
During our annual JAG Conference last month, we held a special session that recapped the latest news from Capitol Hill and what it all means to New Jersey municipalities and PEG/Access stations.
Our panelists, myself, Mike Wassenaar, President of the ACM, Alliance for Community Media, and Mike Lynch, Legislative & Regulatory Affairs Director for NATOA, the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, mainly focused on one very important subject, the federal Protecting Community Television Acts.
From this forum, it became obvious that our audience was not up to speed on why this legislation needs to be acted upon and what could be the ramifications if they are not. We explained all the details about it during the session, but I would like to once again give the background on what has been going on and why support of these bills is crucial.
By Lee Beckerman, Station Manager, Woodbridge Channels
In the mid-1980s, Woodbridge Township was contemplating starting a cable TV channel of its own. They had secured a channel on Suburban, set up a governing board and had purchased a random assortment of equipment. And then…nothing happened. At some point they decided it was time to bring on a person to manage the station and move the project forward. I was fresh out of college with a degree in video production. Doing freelance and having a hard time finding fulltime work in my field, I jumped at the opportunity. It was not my dream job, but I thought it might be an adequate place holder to build my resume, and, lacking other options, I took it. I was eventually shown to a packed projection room/closet, told it was my new office and to have at it. No further instructions were forthcoming. No one had apparently thought past the idea of having a TV station and considered what to do with it. I rightly deduced that the first part of starting a community television station involved getting all the crap out of your new office and finding a desk.
We are only 2 weeks away from the JAG Conference! The conference committee has been working hard to bring an informative, networking, and fun conference to the members and supporters of JAG. Tell all your members to mark down May 18th and we will see you there. For details and to register visit our website www.jagconference.com
Posted: June 23, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Opposition to HR 3557: The American Broadband Deployment Act
by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
A bill was recently passed out of the Congressional House Energy and Commerce Committee, titled the American Broadband Deployment Act of 2023 (H.R. 3557). We at JAG, along with our national partners, believe this bill would be a serious detriment to every municipality in our state and everyone needs to be aware of it and why it must be stopped.
This bill imposes new restrictions on local authorities regarding their ability to regulate a variety of state and local land use and zoning issues that pertain to the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure, including wireless and wireline deployment, as well as new limits on requirements and renewals of cable franchise agreements.
Posted: June 20, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Building a TV Series and Finding JAG
by Caz. Bielen, Premiere Media
Every Great Video we produce has to have a story. My name is Caz. Bielen, Chief Creative Officer of Premiere Media and CazTV. I immigrated to the US when I was 8 years old. I never had a TV in Poland. My first TV was a black and white set, where I learned English watching Magilla Gorilla, The Adventures of Superman, Little Rascals and I Love Lucy reruns There were also the annual viewings of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Wizard of Oz. I did not know it was in color till I was in my late teens. But I loved the stories and the lighting, the effect that made these characters come to life.
Posted: June 20, 2023 by Doug Seidel
JAG Award Winners
2023 CONGRATULATIONS! Documentary NEWTV, The 55th Anniversary of the Newark Rebellion 1st APTV, Sir, I Exist: A Life of Stephen Crane 2nd WBTV35, Meet the Artist on Main: Joe Messick 3rd Instructional & Training WBTV35, Charge Point Charging Station 1st WBMATV, Bloomfield Fire Department Safety Tips 2nd PREMEIRE, Police Records at Hillsborough New Jersey 3rd …
Posted: June 20, 2023 by Doug Seidel
JAG 2023 Conference Recap – Engaging the Community
by Jesse Lerman, President & CEO, TelVue Corporation
It was great to see everyone at this year’s annual JAG conference in Edison, which felt like a “coming home” of sorts, refocusing the lens back on the core New Jersey station operators and members, the real heart and soul of JAG and where TelVue got its start in community media nearly 20 years ago! The new layout, with vendor exhibit booths inside the large group ballroom, afforded better opportunities to mingle with customers and showcase products during breaks, yet also remain an important presence during the larger panel presentations. It created a very inclusive environment for vendors and customers alike, a welcome return and grateful exit from the social distancing and virtual trade show era.
Posted: June 20, 2023 by Doug Seidel
NATOA Contributes to the Success of JAG Conference
by Mike Lynch, Legislative & Regulatory Affairs Director, NATOA
Thank you, Jersey Access Group, for inviting me to participate in the 2023 Conference! On behalf of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), I’ve got to tell you….I had a blast! You’re a dynamic organization with great leadership from folks like Bob Duthaler, Stephanie Gibbons, Dave Garb, Don Smith and, of course, Rich Desimone. To Rich: Thanks for your years of collaboration and teamwork as both NATOA and JAG moved forward in the ever-changing world of cable & broadband.
Posted: June 20, 2023 by Doug Seidel
2023 JAG Conference Legislative Session Recap & the Protecting Community Television Act
During our annual JAG Conference last month, we held a special session that recapped the latest news from Capitol Hill and what it all means to New Jersey municipalities and PEG/Access stations.
Our panelists, myself, Mike Wassenaar, President of the ACM, Alliance for Community Media, and Mike Lynch, Legislative & Regulatory Affairs Director for NATOA, the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, mainly focused on one very important subject, the federal Protecting Community Television Acts.
From this forum, it became obvious that our audience was not up to speed on why this legislation needs to be acted upon and what could be the ramifications if they are not. We explained all the details about it during the session, but I would like to once again give the background on what has been going on and why support of these bills is crucial.
Posted: May 9, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Spotlight Woodbridge: Building and Managing a Municipal Access Cable Station
By Lee Beckerman, Station Manager, Woodbridge Channels
In the mid-1980s, Woodbridge Township was contemplating starting a cable TV channel of its own. They had secured a channel on Suburban, set up a governing board and had purchased a random assortment of equipment. And then…nothing happened. At some point they decided it was time to bring on a person to manage the station and move the project forward. I was fresh out of college with a degree in video production. Doing freelance and having a hard time finding fulltime work in my field, I jumped at the opportunity. It was not my dream job, but I thought it might be an adequate place holder to build my resume, and, lacking other options, I took it. I was eventually shown to a packed projection room/closet, told it was my new office and to have at it. No further instructions were forthcoming. No one had apparently thought past the idea of having a TV station and considered what to do with it. I rightly deduced that the first part of starting a community television station involved getting all the crap out of your new office and finding a desk.
Posted: May 9, 2023 by Doug Seidel
The Conference is Waiting for You
By Don Smith, Vice Chair, Conference Committee
We are only 2 weeks away from the JAG Conference! The conference committee has been working hard to bring an informative, networking, and fun conference to the members and supporters of JAG. Tell all your members to mark down May 18th and we will see you there. For details and to register visit our website www.jagconference.com
Posted: May 9, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Increasing Broadband Service in Your Community
Warning, it is all around you! There is nowhere to hide from it! And it is on its way to the 2023 JAG Conference.
It’s the B-word! BROADBAND!!!
Yes, It Is Everywhere, Be Prepared! or Be Left Out!