By now you already know that Thursday, May 18th is the date you should put all things aside and make plans to be at the JAG’s annual conference and vendor day. If you haven’t done so already, register now at www.jagconference.com . This is a must attend event if you are a member of JAG, support the organization or utilize any of its benefits.
And So It Began… WBMA-TV (Channel 35) in Bloomfield, NJ has been in operation for over 45 years, making it one of the oldest municipal channels on Comcast. Its purpose was and still is to inform the Bloomfield Community of events happening throughout the township, while supporting open government through the playback of meetings on the cable channel. It started out like many stations across the state have, in a small space, a bunch of VHS players and a graphics system. Over the years the space in which the station operated grew larger, but much of the equipment stayed the same. VHS players, mixed with SVHS with shows being recorded on mini-dv, were the flavor through the early 2000s. Unfortunately, due to the death of the station manager, and a couple of short-term interim managers, the station was starting to fall by the wayside. Thankfully, a new board member who was experienced professionally in the industry, kept the station on life support, convincing the Township of Bloomfield and the Cable Advisory Board that the station needed to change both the way it operated and the technology at hand.
From the first conference to our 19th edition, the JAG Conference is the best place to get the latest hardware updates the freshest gear, and collaborate with your fellow colleagues from other stations around New Jersey. This year’s conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Edison on May 18th from 9am-11pm.
We are only a month away from the JAG Conference!
Have you made your checklist for new equipment you would like to get more information on?
Last month I joined the ACM as we visited our esteemed Senators and Representatives on Capitol Hill in an effort to garner co-sponsorship for the” Protecting Community Television Act”.
Here are some ideas on how you can grow, strengthen, and improve you station operations and overall appearance. They are in no order, so use these as a guide for your station. Do all or do some, but the key to change and growth is to do something.
By Ed Salvas, Secretary. Asbury Park Cable TV Advisory Committee
January 2023 marked the start of the eleventh year of operation for Asbury Park TV, known as APTV. Seen on Optimum channels 77 and 116 and on Verizon FiOS on channels 28 and 30, APTV is programmed around the clock with the usual Public Access programs: City Council, and Board of Education meetings, as well as the Planning and Zoning Boards. APTV can also be seen on streaming services Roku and Apple TV, YouTube and online at www.AsburyParkTV.com.
Take a moment to think about what you were doing in 2000. Think about where your channel was, from technology to creative to your relationships with your cable provider.
So much has changed in the local access space since JAG held their first conference back in 2000. In just 21 years we went from shooting videos on VHS or S-VHS, or if you were lucky Mini DV, to now when everything is digital on SD Cards and hard drives. And you know who kept you up to date on the latest tech? JAG! From their first conference to our 19th edition, the JAG Conference is the best place to get the latest hardware updates, the freshest gear, and collaborating on ideas with your fellow colleagues from other stations around New Jersey. This year’s conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Edison on May 18th from 8am-11pm. Conference workshops are being held one at a time so no need to decide which one to attend. Attend them all! And if you get hungry, we have you covered from breakfast to our Keynote Lunch and the JAG Banquet.
Sad news came out recently, when Gigi Sohn, a longtime public interest advocate and former Democratic FCC official, withdrew her nomination to the FCC. She said her decision to pull out follows “unrelenting, dishonest and cruel attacks” made by cable and media industry lobbyists. This announcement is seen as a huge defeat for consumer advocates, who had rallied behind her.
The Biden administration has a very ambitious broadband agenda that has been up in the air for more than two years, amid a 2-2 stalemate at the FCC. Sohn was first nominated by the White House in October 2021, and had the support of many consumer advocate groups.
By Jesse Lerman, President and CEO, TelVue Corporation
It’s about time: one of the most precious commodities you as station managers and volunteers offer to your organizations. We know how difficult it can be to achieve efficiency in your operations: the performance of work in the right way and getting to the desired result, but with minimal effort, time, and cost.
TelVue Corporation has always been focused on the latest innovations to help you, the valued JAG member stations, save not only time and money, but to develop and improve system features that will help expand your viewership and increase accessibility. Cost savings can be achieved by integrating and doing more “all-in-one”. Time savings through enhanced, modern automation. Time to work smarter, not harder; time for ready, set, integrated & automate!
Time and time again you hear me preach the importance of JAG, our meetings, webinars, manager’s round tables and much more. All these have an importance to the membership and the growth of the organization. There is one item however, that stands out as perhaps the single most important event that JAG does, and that is our annual conference. This year’s event is no exception.
Posted: April 26, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Spotlight Bloomfield:Rebuilding For Now and The Future But Recognizing The Past
By Bob Duthaler, Station Manager, Bloomfield
And So It Began… WBMA-TV (Channel 35) in Bloomfield, NJ has been in operation for over 45 years, making it one of the oldest municipal channels on Comcast. Its purpose was and still is to inform the Bloomfield Community of events happening throughout the township, while supporting open government through the playback of meetings on the cable channel. It started out like many stations across the state have, in a small space, a bunch of VHS players and a graphics system. Over the years the space in which the station operated grew larger, but much of the equipment stayed the same. VHS players, mixed with SVHS with shows being recorded on mini-dv, were the flavor through the early 2000s. Unfortunately, due to the death of the station manager, and a couple of short-term interim managers, the station was starting to fall by the wayside. Thankfully, a new board member who was experienced professionally in the industry, kept the station on life support, convincing the Township of Bloomfield and the Cable Advisory Board that the station needed to change both the way it operated and the technology at hand.
Posted: April 26, 2023 by Doug Seidel
More Components Added to The Conference
By Don Smith, Vice Chair, Conference Committee
From the first conference to our 19th edition, the JAG Conference is the best place to get the latest hardware updates the freshest gear, and collaborate with your fellow colleagues from other stations around New Jersey. This year’s conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Edison on May 18th from 9am-11pm.
We are only a month away from the JAG Conference!
Posted: April 26, 2023 by Doug Seidel
A Visit to the Hill: Protecting Community Television Act
Last month I joined the ACM as we visited our esteemed Senators and Representatives on Capitol Hill in an effort to garner co-sponsorship for the” Protecting Community Television Act”.
Posted: March 15, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Spotlight Asbury Park: A Year of Two Milestones
By Ed Salvas, Secretary. Asbury Park Cable TV Advisory Committee
January 2023 marked the start of the eleventh year of operation for Asbury Park TV, known as APTV. Seen on Optimum channels 77 and 116 and on Verizon FiOS on channels 28 and 30, APTV is programmed around the clock with the usual Public Access programs: City Council, and Board of Education meetings, as well as the Planning and Zoning Boards. APTV can also be seen on streaming services Roku and Apple TV, YouTube and online at www.AsburyParkTV.com.
Posted: March 15, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Sponsors Help Develop The Conference
By Don Smith, Vice Chair, Conference Committee
Take a moment to think about what you were doing in 2000. Think about where your channel was, from technology to creative to your relationships with your cable provider.
So much has changed in the local access space since JAG held their first conference back in 2000. In just 21 years we went from shooting videos on VHS or S-VHS, or if you were lucky Mini DV, to now when everything is digital on SD Cards and hard drives. And you know who kept you up to date on the latest tech? JAG! From their first conference to our 19th edition, the JAG Conference is the best place to get the latest hardware updates, the freshest gear, and collaborating on ideas with your fellow colleagues from other stations around New Jersey. This year’s conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Edison on May 18th from 8am-11pm. Conference workshops are being held one at a time so no need to decide which one to attend. Attend them all! And if you get hungry, we have you covered from breakfast to our Keynote Lunch and the JAG Banquet.
Posted: March 15, 2023 by Doug Seidel
FCC Nominee Withdraws from Confirmation Proceedings
Sad news came out recently, when Gigi Sohn, a longtime public interest advocate and former Democratic FCC official, withdrew her nomination to the FCC. She said her decision to pull out follows “unrelenting, dishonest and cruel attacks” made by cable and media industry lobbyists. This announcement is seen as a huge defeat for consumer advocates, who had rallied behind her.
The Biden administration has a very ambitious broadband agenda that has been up in the air for more than two years, amid a 2-2 stalemate at the FCC. Sohn was first nominated by the White House in October 2021, and had the support of many consumer advocate groups.
Posted: March 15, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Cost-saving Integrations & Time-saving Automation from TelVue
By Jesse Lerman, President and CEO, TelVue Corporation
It’s about time: one of the most precious commodities you as station managers and volunteers offer to your organizations. We know how difficult it can be to achieve efficiency in your operations: the performance of work in the right way and getting to the desired result, but with minimal effort, time, and cost.
TelVue Corporation has always been focused on the latest innovations to help you, the valued JAG member stations, save not only time and money, but to develop and improve system features that will help expand your viewership and increase accessibility. Cost savings can be achieved by integrating and doing more “all-in-one”. Time savings through enhanced, modern automation. Time to work smarter, not harder; time for ready, set, integrated & automate!