A couple weeks ago, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that millions of American households have signed up for broadband internet credits through a provision in the bipartisan infrastructure bill called the Affordable Connectivity Program. This bill passed in November of 2021 and White House officials are calling it an example of the administration’s efforts to lower costs for Americans amid the high inflation that has swept our nation.
This program provides eligible households a $30 monthly credit toward the cost of their internet service plan, or a $75 monthly credit for households living on Tribal lands. Households with an income at or below 200% of the poverty level are eligible, as well as any household with at least one member who participates in Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Federal Pell Grants, and other programs.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated a Notice of Inquiry in mid-July to kick off the agency’s annual evaluation of the state of broadband across the country. As part of this assessment, Chairwoman Rosenworcel proposed increasing the national standard for minimum broadband speeds and proposed setting a long-term goal for broadband speed.
“The needs of internet users long ago surpassed the FCC’s 25/3 speed metric, especially during a global health pandemic that moved so much of life online,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel. “The 25/3 metric isn’t just behind the times, it’s a harmful one because it masks the extent to which low-income neighborhoods and rural communities are being left behind and left offline. That’s why we need to raise the standard for minimum broadband speeds now and while also aiming even higher for the future, because we need to set big goals if we want everyone everywhere to have a fair shot at 21st century success.”
This Notice of Inquiry proposes to increase the national broadband standard to 100 megabits per second for downloading and 20 megabits per second for uploading. The FCC previously set the broadband standard at 25/3 Mbps in 2015 and has not updated it since. It also proposes to set a separate national goal of 1 Gbps/500 Mbps for the future.
Looking beyond speed, Chairwoman Rosenworcel also suggested that the Commission consider affordability, adoption, availability, and equitable access as part of its determination as to whether broadband is being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion.
Speaking of broadband, the FCC is also hoping to reclassify the Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act. They would like to change the designation of internet access as a Title II telecommunications service and return the FCC’s authority to impose net neutrality rules.
That authority went away in 2017 when the FCC, under then Chairman Ajit Pai, reclassified it as a Title I information service not subject to mandatory access or potentially rate regulation rules.
This bill has been introduced by Senator Mikey with a companion bill by Rep. Matsui. If passed, broadband would become this Title II status and would then be subject to net neutrality, and other potential requirements
”The pandemic made clear internet access is no longer a luxury, but a necessity—and that consumers don’t just need broadband, they need to be able to hold their providers to account,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel.
“After all, everyone should be able to go where they want and do what they want online without their broadband provider making choices for them. I support Net Neutrality because it fosters this openness and accountability. While I trust the FCC has the authority it needs to adopt Net Neutrality rules, legislation that helps ensure it is the law of the land is welcome.” Commissioner, Geoffrey Starks, also gave his support of the bill, “I have previously stated that the FCC’s 2015 Net Neutrality rules were the right approach. That approach is undergirded by a voluminous record and overwhelming public support, and it has been tested in court,” said Starks. “The Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act would codify just that. COVID and the last few years have proven that broadband is essential for the 21st century. This legislation is an important step that will provide certainty to consumers and broadband providers and allow everyone to move forward.”
I think the title of my article tells my feelings about summer, it is a great time of the year, but way too short. In summer, you find ways to cram a whole bunch of things to be done in a short time both on the personal and business side. From a production standpoint at the stations I am involved with, summer is a very busy time. There are events throughout the summer we are covering, along with meetings and concerts. I find myself covering three concerts a week at times! Then there are the graduation parties, summer BBQs and most importantly …. VACATION!
The same can be said with running JAG as well. The executive board and committees don’t take time off during the summer. These groups continue to meet and develop the plans that keep the organization running now and in the future. Committees like the JAG Awards and Conference Committee are coming off their annual events. They spend the summer reviewing their performance, making their recommendations to the board and preparing to start up again. Other committees throughout the year work on updating their plans and strategies, and pass these on to the leadership committee which reviews and recommends the final plans. The plans are then passed on to the executive board.
The executive board will hold their annual retreat during the month of August. During this three-to-four-day event, the board will review every facet of our organization. We examine both our Policies & Procedures along with our By-Laws, review our running of the organization, examine its structure, and come up with solutions to move the organization forward. Most of these come directly from Leadership (via individual committees) helping make the review process easier. Unlike a vacation that you look forward to every summer, I am not sure the board thinks this is the highlight of their summer. But we do know that it is very important, and we continue to take seriously this event and the work entailed. Thankfully we also have the help of our managing director to help steer us through this process, prepare all the documents and make changes/updates to all documents after the board goes through them and votes. As you can tell, summer is a very busy time of year and yet still way too short of a time. I do love the warm summer days, the extended hours of light and the feeling of a nice vacation. But this all-passes way too quickly. So, in keeping with the summer is too short theme, I will make my article Short and Sweet – just like my title says! Final Note: In September, we will begin in person meetings again. We also plan to hold a hybrid online version as well. Look for details next month.
Local municipal television channels have come a long way since their portrayal in Wayne’s World. Plastic potted plants and silly content have given way to serious programs that inform, educate, and entertain the citizens they serve. In addition to the importance of open government through meeting coverage, Public, Educational and Government (PEG) channels carry various general interest programing for everyone from kids to seniors, with subjects that range from high school sports to cooking shows.
Since many local newspapers have disappeared in recent years, PEG channels have become the main way local governments distribute information. This is particularly true in New Jersey because we sit between two major news markets. It’s often easier to find out what’s going on in downtown New York or Philadelphia then in your own hometown. However, the real value of municipal channels has never been more evident than during the recent health crisis. The Jersey Access Group (JAG), the professional organization that represents the interest of municipal and community channels throughout the state, is proud of how our members have responded to the pandemic over these last two years. Even though many town halls were closed, and station personnel were forced to work from home, PEG stations remained on air. Our members continued to offer important informational and entertaining programming to the citizens they serve with live meeting coverage, and real time updates of live COVID-19 press coverage both locally and statewide.
Early in the pandemic many town halls were closed, but the people’s business continued, and PEG stations were there to keep their residents informed by broadcasting virtual council and board meetings to maintain transparency in government. In addition, stations were called upon to provide important information about how to fight Covid-19. With community activities curtailed, many stations turned the time usually devoted to community bulletin board messages into a source of information on how to deal with the health crisis. These included public service messages about proper hand washing techniques, social distancing requirements and the need to wear masks to stop the spread of the disease. When testing locations were announced, PEG stations provided information as to where and how to access testing. When vaccinations and booster shoots became available, our member channels provided important information as to the location and availability of vaccines. These same municipal channels were also the only place viewers could go to watch Governor Murphy’s daily press briefings in their entirety, both live and re-broadcast at various times on our stations. These briefings provided important information about the fight against Covid 19 across the state.
While it’s not surprising to find municipal stations carrying meetings, public service announcements, and the governor’s press conferences, there were many other ways PEG Channel helped the citizens in their communities. In the early days of the pandemic, with schools closed, and kids stuck at home, many stations created specialized programing to help parents entertain their kids while they worked from home. Programs consisting of mayors reading books to kids, drawing and painting shows, and science-based programming filled time slots on many stations across the state to not only keep kids entertained but teach them as well.
Music also helps children feel a sense of normalcy, and several stations created shows for kids with sing-along songs that both educated and entertained. These programs were not limited to just kids. The senior population, who was most vulnerable during the pandemic, needed to be reached as well. Stations created and aired senior exercise programs, Zumba Gold, Yoga, and other shows designed specifically for the senior population to help reduce the stress felt by many being trapped indoors during the pandemic. These same programs were shared with other stations around the state using the JAG sponsored cloud-based server, allowing smaller stations, who might not have the manpower to create such shows, to air them to their viewing audience.
The health crisis also affected the ability of people to attend religious services. While many municipal stations don’t normally carry religious programming, because of the pandemic, special arrangements were made with local churches, synagogues, and mosques to carry services to worshipers who were not allowed to attend them in person. To many, the broadcast of their weekly worship services became a great comfort, especially to the senior population who found it easier to locate these on their local cable channel then try and navigate the internet.
As things began to ease and the Governor allowed sports to continue, attendance was restricted. In response, many of our PEG Stations increased their coverage of both high school and recreational sports so friends and family could watch their teams compete even though they couldn’t attend the games in person. Stations also became more creative and started airing these live on television and streaming them across social media platforms so they could be viewed by an even larger audience.
In a time that was decidedly not normal, JAG member stations provided programming to give their citizens a small sense of normalcy. Since parades and large social gatherings were not allowed during the pandemic, PEG stations throughout the state carried messages from mayors to commemorate Memorial Day, Independence Day and 9/11 Remembrance Day. Many PEG stations also covered virtual graduations to give families a chance to celebrate their high school graduates when traditional celebrations were not allowed because of the pandemic. These included messages created by the stations from graduates to their peers, words of encouragement from teachers and administrators, and even traditional valedictory messages. In many towns, the stations also covered the socially distant awarding of diplomas live.
While we all have grown accustomed to living in a pandemic, in the beginning there were many technical challenges to overcome. Our stations had to learn how to go live from any location, broadcast a Zoom meeting live on air and share programming across multiple social media platforms. Many townships who used tools like Zoom to allow their citizens to participate in government meetings, are now continuing these methods by televising hybrid meetings that integrate internet contributors with in-person meetings.
This allows those who are still not comfortable with large gatherings to continue to participate as live meetings resume. During the pandemic, many residents got used to this new way to participate in government meetings, and they want it to continue, finding it easier to watch these meetings on television from home, and either calling in or interacting via the web. JAG, with the support of many industry professionals and vendors, have helped their members do just that.
Throughout these last two years, JAG continued to hold our monthly meetings (virtually), ran webinars, station managers round table discussions and virtual networking events. These were all geared to promote the sharing of information to keep our member stations updated, educated, trained. JAG continues that mission to date. Together our member stations provide localized information that the people of New Jersey have grown to depend on. We at the Jersey Access Group would like to thank all the mayors and administrators who continue to support our efforts year after year. We will continue to work hard to deserve that support. To learn more about the Jersey Access Group, please visit our website at www.jagonline.org or reach out to me directly at bduthaler@jagonline.org
There aren’t any ‘terrible’ video cameras these days. In fact, there are a myriad of tiny cameras with pinhole-sized lenses – often referred to as “cell phones” – that incorporate the latest technology and are available from many manufacturers.
With any current generation camera you can record (and stream) excellent HD video with minimal lighting. Overhead fluorescents provide adequate ‘soft light’ for any meeting venue. So just turn on the camera, frame your shot, and press Record.
Audio is not.
The variables involved when capturing audio in a meeting environment are many, and include
• Types of microphones (condenser vs. dynamic; wired vs. wireless; analog vs. digital)
• Local microphone control (user and/or remotely selected On/Mute)
• Audio mixers and signal processors (analog vs. digital)
• Audio power amplifiers vs. powered speakers
• Room sound support (ceiling vs. stand-mounted speakers; one or multiple speaker ‘zones’)
• Integration of Zoom, Teams and other remote meeting software with in-room sound support
• Meeting participants generally do not understand how to interact with a microphone
Here is a summary of the basics to help you make ‘sound’ decisions for your room.
Types of microphones
Condenser microphones have a higher output level and capture the important frequencies in the human voice. Since a dais or grouped tables are likely featured for the participants, ‘gooseneck’ microphones on weighted bases are ideal.
There are dozens of choices on Amazon, Sweetwater, B&H and more, but consider the Shure MX418D/C 18-inch Cardioid Gooseneck Microphone with Desktop Base and Preamp as your ‘go to’ for the room. The pickup pattern appropriately rejects ambient noise, reduces feedback potential and accommodates the widest range of participant positions.
Wireless microphones can be great problem solvers and problem creators at the same time. There is generally no local control of On/Off that your participants can easily use, so bathroom breaks must be muted by the operator. For current technology at a great price check out the Rode Wireless Go II and DJI wireless kits that provide excellent and stable wireless performance on a budget.
Audio mixers
Just select one with enough XLR inputs to accommodate your wired and wireless microphones. All will provide input level control and EQ for each input. The most important thing to know is how to set the input level for each microphone. Always follow this procedure.
Set your mixer MASTER level fader to the 0dB position.
Move the fader/rotary pot to the 0dB position, usually about halfway on the fader.
With the person talking normally into the mike, rotate the input GAIN pot (+4 to -60dB) until the level meter/LED peaks before showing red. This assures an optimal signal level for that participant/microphone.
Yamaha is among many manufacturers offering excellent alternatives, some with USB output. MX12XU shown here.
Audio signal processors
Analog audio signal processors manage audio levels by limiting, compressing and expanding the signal so the level stays consistent. The manufacturer dbx has provided these solutions for decades, and they’re still viable and inexpensive, like the Model 166x. Digital Signal Processors (DSP) use intelligent algorithms to manage levels and EQ, but they’re typically more expensive and complex to use. These are often associated with Dante™ digital audio systems.
Audio power amps, speakers and powered speakers
Before powered speakers became widely available, the signal path was always from the analog output of your audio mixer (line level) to one or more audio amplifiers, typically in rack-mount configurations. The power amps are connected to ceiling and/or wall-mounted passive (non-powered) speakers. 70V speaker systems are networks of loudspeakers which are connected to an audio amplifier using step-up and step-down transformers to simplify impedance calculations and to minimize power loss over the speaker cables. Powered speakers bypass the need for amplifiers, with the line out(s) of the mixer connected to those devices. Either method is fine, but powered speakers are the easiest to setup and use in many meeting spaces.
Remote participant audio integration
‘Hybrid’ meetings, that combine participants in a room with remote meeting software, are now largely an accepted form of municipal gatherings. But managing the interactive audio is a challenge because of how the signals are routed in your audio mixer. This can cause the annoying ‘feedback’, or round-robin echo that plagues such configurations. This is solved by creating a “mix minus” output on your mixer providing at least one ‘aux’ output sending a different mix of inputs to that output. The company ZOOM makes a lot of excellent and affordable audio gear, including their LiveTrak L-8 and L-12 mixers. Not only can they record individual inputs, but they also support three independent aux mixes that resolve remote meeting audio perfectly.
Summary Understanding the variables in audio production is critical in making the proper choices and optimizing your audio-for-video, which is certainly the most important aspect of your meeting recording. But I do recommend conducting a ‘class’ with your participants before the event to demonstrate how to, and how not to, interact with their microphone. Prevention is always the best alternative to an expensive cure.
These days, more and more people are buying HD televisions, so naturally access channels want to switch to HD to accommodate it. Therefore, if you run a local access channel, where do you start? What exactly do you need to accomplish the switch to HD? What should you buy first?
If your municipality uses a statewide franchise agreement, you should be able to have them provide an HD channel.
My local access channel, OPTV, bought HD cameras first. This was a major decision to make, and a moderately expensive one – with inherent budget considerations and cases to be made for it.
Currently, many cameras have dual outputs – both HD and analog – so they can easily make the switchover without too much additional cost. If that isn’t possible, as is the case with some PTZ cameras that only have a digital output, most likely you will need to buy converters to accommodate digital-to-analog temporarily, so that your channel is able to stay on the air in the meantime.
The next item would be the switcher. There are many switchers out there, ranging in cost from a couple of thousand dollars to many thousands of dollars. The size and scope of local access facilities vary, so you will need to do your homework as to what you will need, both now and in the future. Some switchers can handle analog, SD digital, and HD digital. Of course, these will have a bigger price tag.
Another way to go is to buy a switcher that is solely digital, with the use of converters. If you have analog equipment that you want to use, but also want a new switcher, you can still buy converters that will take an analog source and output as serial digital.
Additionally, another consideration to make is that for HD broadcasting you will need to change cabling. Your choice will be either to make the cables you need, or you can buy them separately.
After the switcher, the next item to consider is the video server that feeds the cable station and OTT streaming service (if you have one). Again, all the new servers handle digital signals, both SD and HD. In the case of my station, we have Altice which requires an analog signal, so we need to use a digital-to-analog converter for broadcast to Altice customers. Verizon, however, allows for an HD signal; in our case, we also have an HD channel, which is no problem for us.
After making these decisions, over time you can consider various upgrades as needed. Most don’t require very much cost, but they all do involve time and effort to install.
Finally, as a member of JAG, you have the ability to connect with other local access facilities as to what they have done in their switchover to HD and what they plan to do. “Picking the brains” of other members is an invaluable benefit of membership. In the end, you will be very happy with the difference in picture quality with HD!
To continue our discussion into the possibility of having OTT providers such as Hulu and Netflix pay franchise fees in exchange for their use of the public rights-of-way, along comes a couple of stories from Reuters news about this very issue.
However, bear in mind that these are not local accounts but from across the seas. The first takes place from the country of Denmark.
“Lawmakers there have agreed global TV streaming services such as Netflix and Disney must pay a levy of 6% of their revenue in the country to support local TV production. The bill comes as governments across Europe try to secure support for local TV and film production following the rapid rise in the popularity of streaming services”. The Ministry of Culture said in a statement:“Denmark must go as far as possible in providing good public service to children and young people, which can serve as a real alternative to the tech giants’ platforms and foreign content. The fragmented media landscape following the entry of global streaming services “can challenge the cohesion and democratic dialogue in our country.” **Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Editing by Mark Potter**.
The second article comes from Switzerland. “Swiss voters backed proposals to make global TV streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon and Disney investsome of their revenues generated in Switzerland into domestic film-making.
Just over 58% of voters backed the proposal, according to the final result, in one of three national votes held under the Swiss system of direct democracy. Switzerland will become the latest European country to introduce such measures to support local TV and film production and boost locally-produced content.
“This result underlines the cultural importance of film-making in Switzerland,” Swiss Interior Minister Alain Berset told a press conference on Sunday.
In the binding referendum on what is being called “Lex Netflix”, international streaming services must invest 4% of the revenue they make in Switzerland in local film production. The investments can take the form of buying locally-made shows, making programmes themselves or go into an investment fund.”**Reporting by John Revill; Editing by Gareth Jones, David Evans and Emelia Sithole-Matarise**
Portugal has also passed a similar law where streaming service providers have to pay 1% of their income and Spain is due to introduce their own law in the very near future.
Hopefully these recent actions abroad will get the attention here in the states — especially among the 12 states that have litigation currently pending on this issue, or for those states thinking about filing their own lawsuits.
On a different subject relayed to me by Mike Wassenaar, President of the Alliance for Community Media, “The League of Women Voters at their national convention in late June authorized their chapters to support the Protecting Community Television Act.
The ACM is asking that PEG organizations that have a relationship with a League Chapter (either local or state), reach out to the chapter and request that they send a letter to the Congressional delegation suggesting that the Act is fully endorsed. What this now means to JAG is that we have a new avenue to pursue to make sure this important act for the PEG community is supported by all of New Jersey’s United States Senators and Representatives.
When one thinks of the Membership Committee, it may be as the group that takes in information about a new member, welcomes them and helps them get acquainted with JAG as an organization. Or you may think of us as that irritating committee that pesters you to fill out a membership survey. But the Membership Committee is much more than that. This committee is continually looking at JAG from the member’s point of view… why did you join JAG? Are you getting the most out of your membership? Are there other benefits you need or want? So the committee recently when back to the drawing board as to the membership categories we offer and what is most valuable to each of the types of membership.
JAG will be celebrating its 21st anniversary soon and as most things two decades old we have changed from when we formed this organization in 2001. When we started, only municipal stations were members but we soon realized that other entities were also making and delivering content. The committee also had to look at how we deliver our content, which has vastly changed, and to examine how we integrate these new technologies and process our workflows.
While many of the JAG benefits provide assistance to all of the categories there are benefits that are specific to each category.
• For municipal & public members JAG provides assistance in communication with residents using social media. That has developed into live hybrid meetings integrating Zoom and establishing delivery to various platforms.
• For non-profit schools JAG offers schools that are producing video content ways to expand distribution of the work of students. Through the Student Symposium, JAG gives students an opportunity to attend events to explore careers in the growing field of video production.
• For Colleges/Universities members JAG allows students free attendance to the JAG Conference giving them the opportunity to visit with manufacturers and learn about the latest in video production equipment on our trade show floor. Students can attend workshop sessions regarding all the components of video production.
• For Independent Producers JAG gives them access to a wider distribution network through the JAG Connect server and JAG’s You Tube Channel, as well as the ability to find freelance support.
• For Non Profit Organizations JAG gives them access to a wider distribution network through the JAG Connect server and JAG’s You Tube Channel.
• For Organizational Vendors/Manufacturers JAG provides expanded marketing capabilities to municipalities, schools, colleges/universities, non-profit organizations and independent producers.
JAG keeps vendors and manufacturers in front of the decision makers who are responsible for evaluating and purchasing equipment.
The items listed are just one specific benefit for each category among all the benefits of your membership in JAG. One of the most frequent responses we receive from new members is how glad they are that they have someone like them to talk to about similar issues. And now they have other people to talk to about possible solutions. The Membership committee produced the chart below that provides a general overview of all of JAG’s member benefits. Please take some time to look it over as you may find that you have benefits that you did not know you had. JAG encourages its members to take advantage of all the benefits it offers. I want to thank the membership committee members for all their hard work on this project. Reviewing the member benefits is a key ingredient to JAG’s new marketing plan. We believe it will aid in the pursuit of new members in all membership categories. Finally, if you believe in what JAG does and you like to talk to other people about JAG then you can help. The Membership committee is looking for new members; we meet for approximately an hour on the first Tuesday of the month. We also do outreach to former and lapsed members to renew their membership. We need help with this outreach and this is a great way to meet and talk to other JAG members. This is a great way to get more involved in JAG, so please join our committee, JAG needs you too!
West Milford is one of the smallest stations to be a member of JAG. We are run by a seven-member volunteer board lead by Chairman and JAG Trustee Bob Nicholson. We operate on a meager budget of $4800 a year which we get from Altice, the one and only cable provider in town—no Fios up here in the Highlands. We do produce content on a regular basis and while the pandemic changed the kind of productions we attempt, we are slowly returning to a more normal production schedule. We continued to stream the Town Council and Board of Education meetings even during the pandemic. Since the meetings were not open to the public much of 2020 and the first part of 2021, the town council and mayor really appreciated our efforts to provide coverage of the meetings to our residents. We also produced a virtual Memorial Day message from the mayor in lieu of the traditional parade in 2020 and we carried the virtual high school graduations in 2020 and 2021. All these efforts provided a sense of normalcy in what was anything but a normal time for our town.
When things loosened up in the spring of 2021, we began to once again cover the summer concerts in town sponsored by the library and the rec department. These are outdoor events so our volunteers felt comfortable doing the work necessary to photograph them. We were even able to put together a crew to shoot the National Night Out celebration which was quite well attended and provided a proper forum for our residents to learn more about the efforts of our first responders. In September 2021, we began a regularly scheduled on camera update from the township’s recreation director highlighting the latest offerings from his department.
One of the unexpected results of the Covid 19 epidemic has been the increased awareness and appreciation of all that we do to help the town communicate with its residents. Both the mayor and the administrator have personally expressed their gratitude for the work we have done during the health crisis and they have demonstrated their appreciation with some special appropriations that have allowed us to purchase some new equipment, most notably a LiveU solo that will allow us to stream from virtually any location in town. Although we own three JVC cameras, right now we have no way of using them together for a multi-camera shoot. We are hoping to receive an additional budget allocation this year that will allow us to purchase a computer, a switcher and a wireless intercom system that will allow us to do productions where all three cameras can work together. The next big thing we need is a studio to house our equipment. Currently, it all sits in a cabinet in the council chamber.
This year WM77 won its first Award of Excellence for a show we produced on a Civil War Re-enactment at the Long Pond Iron Works here in West Milford. It turns out that the Iron Works made musket muzzles for the Union army during the Civil War which gave the production special meaning to those in town who enjoy history. We are hoping that such recognition will inspire our town council to grant our request for a switcher. Time will tell.
Like every volunteer channel, we have had trouble getting and keeping volunteers. The pandemic certainly didn’t help the situation. With only seven commissioners, only four who shoot, we can’t possible cover all the events that occur in town. After much discussion, we have developed an idea that we hope will allow more people and organizations to contribute content to the channel. With the help of the library director, the commissioners hope to offer classes to people interested in producing and editing videos for the channel. We are encouraging the use of cell phones to let parents shoot videos of various sports organizations, scout troops, Four H and Future Farmers of America organizations (yes, we have farms up here in West Milford). We may be lowering the bar on the production quality of some of the content on the station, but we feel there is great value in increasing the amount of local content on the channel. Unfortunately, we have yet to implement this idea, but when we do, I’ll let you know if it generates any new programming for the station. Although we are small in numbers, we program a channel for 24 hours a day thanks to the JAG server. We hope our efforts will lead to more local content and increase the value of the channel to the township.
by Paul Distefano, Eastern Regional Sales Manager, DeSisti
After the two-year hiatus as a result of the apocalypse, as I like to refer to it, what a pleasure it was to participate in this year’s Eastern Video Expo, IN PERSON, again! Since I was privileged to have been a part of the expo, in all its forms and names, since its start in 2003, I was asked to comment on this year’s conference. When I was asked, the first thing that came to mind was the term “full circle”.
I distinctly remember how this whole thing came about. It was the Spring of 2002. I was working for Visual Sound of Broomall, PA. My rep from Panasonic, Pat Bucher, asked me if I wanted to join him for a meeting of this group called JAG. He said that he was invited to do a presentation at one of the monthly meetings. I remember sitting through the meeting with Pat, and AFTER the nice long meeting, we had about 30 minutes to demo the AG-DVX100 camcorder. Pat pretty much did the demo and I let those in attendance know I could sell it to them! At a later date, I was invited, this time solo, by the group and did another quick demo and talk after quietly sitting through one of your meetings.
Skip ahead about a year and I was asked to design a video system for the new Metuchen Municipal Building council chambers that was currently under construction. I did a proposal for Rich Desimone who was the station manager at the time, and then waited for what seemed like forever, as the construction project seemed to drag on for one reason or another. Finally, the township was ready to move forward and publish a bid spec based on my design. I submitted my bid documents and went to the municipal complex, which was still temporarily housed in several trailers, for the bid opening.
While I was waiting with Rich, we started chatting. Somehow, we started talking about the current way that vendor presentations took place at the meetings. I cannot recall specifics, but I am pretty sure that I said something to the effect of…… “you know, Rich, we really love you guys and are happy to present and demo at your monthly meetings, but ya think we can do it without having to sit through all the business that did not concern us and wait until the very end of the meeting? I mean, by that time, everyone is itching to leave and we do not exactly get too much mindshare”. Again…… probably paraphrasing, but I can imagine it was something like that! Then, we started to brainstorm. Not sure who, exactly, came up with the idea, but the discussion ended up with me saying something to the effect of….. “What about this…… What if I can get 10 or 12 of my vendors on board and ask them to kick in a couple of hundred bucks….. enough to cover the cost of a ballroom at a hotel……. And what if I have the ballroom sectioned off so you guys can have your meeting there? I would have the room for the day…… You guys could check out products from several vendors before and after your meeting…… the vendors would be able to get in front of dozens of potential customers in one shot……. JAG might get better attendance to one of the monthly meetings……. And I will have the hotel cater a lunch for all……. Do you think the membership of JAG would be interested?”.
Well, Rich thought this was a great idea, but I think it took a little coaxing for him to convince some of the others. So, with the blessing of the JAG board, I got a green light and started lining up vendors. We chose the Clarion in Edison, figuring a central location would help get people from both north and south to make the trip. It was a success. I think the turnout was much higher than any previous JAG monthly meetings. If memory serves, I believe that over 75 members either attended the meeting or came before or after just to check out the vendors’ wares. I remember having to get more food brought in! The twelve vendors who supported me in this endeavor all thought it was the best use of $250.00 that they could have asked for. I remember one telling me, “do you know how long it would take, and how much it would cost me to visit all these customers?”. It was a great success……. And it was also my last day at Visual Sound!
Rich organized it again the following year and, this time, I participated as one of the vendors, Shadowstone. Once JAG took over the event, it grew and grew and became a major event for TV professionals in the northeast, eventually being rebranded as the Eastern Video Expo. While at Shadowstone & 4Wall, I was delighted when I was able to buy blocks of tables and get several of my vendors to partner with me to create a whole lighting section of the trade show floor. Once, I was even able to buy an entire row for my vendors with truss archways, complete with color changing LEDs and moving lights, and branded it the “Lighting Pavilion”. Workshops grew in number and included wider ranges of topics. The Affinity Luncheon was created, with a moderator and host at each table to lead the group in a discussion of a particular topic. The first two years I participated were a blast. Our tables had some great spirited talks! The Vendor of the Year award was added and, on behalf of my fellow vendors, we really appreciated your recognition of our efforts to support you all….. And the whole cake thing and “serving the PEG community”….. Genius! I was honored to be there from the beginning and watch it evolve the way it did up to its peak, I believe in 2019, with the largest number of vendors and attendees. And then…… the apocalypse!
Jump forward to 2022, and this year’s Expo reminded me very much of those first two that I helped get off the ground. Sure, we had the banquet, all the virtual workshops, and such, but we were back in a single room at the Clarion Edison, now called the Crowne Plaza. We were back to just a few vendors rather than dozens. But, even with the smaller number of vendors and attendees than we had become accustomed to, I would say this year’s Expo was a complete success……. Just like that first one in 2003!
In my conversations with everyone, the overwhelming sentiment was that it was great to just get together again. All felt these were the first baby steps towards getting back to what the Eastern Video Expo had become. In speaking with other vendors, there was nothing but enthusiasm for the future of the event. Some of us talked about forming an advisory committee to help JAG plan future Expos, with ideas to expand participation, workshops, and events. In the past, we used to set up a stage for the purpose of recording content that could be used by various JAG member stations. This year, the idea of setting up a stage again, with several vendors supplying gear, was discussed. But rather than just recording content, it could be used to broadcast live programming, interactive workshops, and such. If we market it right, the Eastern Video Expo, and JAG, could go global! All these great ideas came up, literally, at the close of the show! Imagine what we could come up with if a group of creative individuals from JAG and the organizational member companies got together to brainstorm and discuss ideas in the light of the currently available technology.
Yes……. The apocalypse slowed us down a bit. But, as a group, we have gone full circle, and we are back! If we all work together, I am confident that we can grow the Expo back, even better than we did before, and introduce our group to the entire country….. and beyond! Should be easy…. After all, we’ve done it before!
The Jersey Access Group hosted the Eastern Video Expo LIVE for the first time in a couple of years. Hello! My name is Dana Healy, and I’m the VP of Cablecast Community Media. This was my first time attending the Eastern Video Expo! Being the new kid on the block, every attendee I met was a new face. Here are my 5 take-aways from the New Jersey-based event.
1.Passion Runs Deep
From vendors to attendees to trustee members, there was no shortage of passion for the industry. People swapped stories about increasing access in their communities, assisting cities in media production, and educating the incoming generation. It reminded me of the culture of Cablecast. We build the easiest to use broadcast automation software and video servers so that our passionate customers have more time to focus on their mission of serving their communities.
2.Feels Like Family
Attendees greeted each other like old friends with big smiles and hearty hugs. I asked a few attendees like Doug Seidel and Bob Duthaler the last time they saw their colleagues in person. Years! Gathering in person for this event felt more like a homecoming than a conference. I had a chance to chat with Monica Jackson of Highland Park, and Ken Morgan, a long-time community media volunteer, about their work, and passion for the JAG mission. The atmosphere was relaxed and made it easy to connect with people over a lunch meal or drinks.
3.Reconnecting with Friends
Michael D’Amato, Broadcast Communications Manager for the Township of Edison, and longtime Cablecast customer, stopped by to reconnect. Bob Smith, Cablecast’s Inside Sales Rep, had a chance to visit the Edison, NJ facility to learn firsthand how the Township of Edison is utilizing its Cablecast equipment and to answer questions.
4.Vendors Show Up
From Varto Technologies to Municipal Captioning to Cablecast Community Media, the vendors constructed impressive displays and executed dynamic demonstrations for attendees. It was an intense version of show and tell. Varto and Yervant of Varto Technologies displayed three tables of hardware to show the attendees! Daniell Krawczyk and Rob Gelber of Municipal Captioning hosted coloring contests at their technicolored booth. Bob Smith at Cablecast showered attendees with swag and demonstrations!
5.Attendees Lead the Conversation
The JAG attendees have spoken! The Cablecast booth was hopping with inquisitive people. The Cablecast team guided their questions through the Cablecast VIO Stream to the Cablecast CG bulletin board. It was evident that the Cablecast CG Bulletin Board was the product of interest. As the newbie attending the conference, I felt quite at home chatting with trustees and attendees. If I didn’t meet you, connect with me on LinkedIn! I’d love to hear your takeaways from the event.
News & Events
Posted: August 18, 2022 by bduthaler
The Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act
by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
A couple weeks ago, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that millions of American households have signed up for broadband internet credits through a provision in the bipartisan infrastructure bill called the Affordable Connectivity Program. This bill passed in November of 2021 and White House officials are calling it an example of the administration’s efforts to lower costs for Americans amid the high inflation that has swept our nation.
This program provides eligible households a $30 monthly credit toward the cost of their internet service plan, or a $75 monthly credit for households living on Tribal lands. Households with an income at or below 200% of the poverty level are eligible, as well as any household with at least one member who participates in Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Federal Pell Grants, and other programs.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated a Notice of Inquiry in mid-July to kick off the agency’s annual evaluation of the state of broadband across the country. As part of this assessment, Chairwoman Rosenworcel proposed increasing the national standard for minimum broadband speeds and proposed setting a long-term goal for broadband speed.
“The needs of internet users long ago surpassed the FCC’s 25/3 speed metric, especially during a global health pandemic that moved so much of life online,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel. “The 25/3 metric isn’t just behind the times, it’s a harmful one because it masks the extent to which low-income neighborhoods and rural communities are being left behind and left offline. That’s why we need to raise the standard for minimum broadband speeds now and while also aiming even higher for the future, because we need to set big goals if we want everyone everywhere to have a fair shot at 21st century success.”
This Notice of Inquiry proposes to increase the national broadband standard to 100 megabits per second for downloading and 20 megabits per second for uploading. The FCC previously set the broadband standard at 25/3 Mbps in 2015 and has not updated it since. It also proposes to set a separate national goal of 1 Gbps/500 Mbps for the future.
Looking beyond speed, Chairwoman Rosenworcel also suggested that the Commission consider affordability, adoption, availability, and equitable access as part of its determination as to whether broadband is being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion.
Speaking of broadband, the FCC is also hoping to reclassify the Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act. They would like to change the designation of internet access as a Title II telecommunications service and return the FCC’s authority to impose net neutrality rules.
That authority went away in 2017 when the FCC, under then Chairman Ajit Pai, reclassified it as a Title I information service not subject to mandatory access or potentially rate regulation rules.
This bill has been introduced by Senator Mikey with a companion bill by Rep. Matsui. If passed, broadband would become this Title II status and would then be subject to net neutrality, and other potential requirements
”The pandemic made clear internet access is no longer a luxury, but a necessity—and that consumers don’t just need broadband, they need to be able to hold their providers to account,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel.
“After all, everyone should be able to go where they want and do what they want online without their broadband provider making choices for them. I support Net Neutrality because it fosters this openness and accountability. While I trust the FCC has the authority it needs to adopt Net Neutrality rules, legislation that helps ensure it is the law of the land is welcome.” Commissioner, Geoffrey Starks, also gave his support of the bill, “I have previously stated that the FCC’s 2015 Net Neutrality rules were the right approach. That approach is undergirded by a voluminous record and overwhelming public support, and it has been tested in court,” said Starks. “The Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act would codify just that. COVID and the last few years have proven that broadband is essential for the 21st century. This legislation is an important step that will provide certainty to consumers and broadband providers and allow everyone to move forward.”
Posted: July 12, 2022 by bduthaler
The most difficult challenge when recording meeting video: Recording Good Meeting Audio
by Rush Beesley, President, RUSHWORKS
Video is Easy.
There aren’t any ‘terrible’ video cameras these days. In fact, there are a myriad of tiny cameras with pinhole-sized lenses – often referred to as “cell phones” – that incorporate the latest technology and are available from many manufacturers.
With any current generation camera you can record (and stream) excellent HD video with minimal lighting. Overhead fluorescents provide adequate ‘soft light’ for any meeting venue. So just turn on the camera, frame your shot, and press Record.
Audio is not.
The variables involved when capturing audio in a meeting environment are many, and include
• Types of microphones (condenser vs. dynamic; wired vs. wireless; analog vs. digital)
• Audio pickup patterns (omnidirectional, unidirectional, cardioid, hyper-cardioid, ultra-cardioid)
• Local microphone control (user and/or remotely selected On/Mute)
• Audio mixers and signal processors (analog vs. digital)
• Audio power amplifiers vs. powered speakers
• Room sound support (ceiling vs. stand-mounted speakers; one or multiple speaker ‘zones’)
• Integration of Zoom, Teams and other remote meeting software with in-room sound support
• Meeting participants generally do not understand how to interact with a microphone
Here is a summary of the basics to help you make ‘sound’ decisions for your room.
Types of microphones
Condenser microphones have a higher output level and capture the important frequencies in the human voice. Since a dais or grouped tables are likely featured for the participants, ‘gooseneck’ microphones on weighted bases are ideal.
There are dozens of choices on Amazon, Sweetwater, B&H and more, but consider the Shure MX418D/C 18-inch Cardioid Gooseneck Microphone with Desktop Base and Preamp as your ‘go to’ for the room. The pickup pattern appropriately rejects ambient noise, reduces feedback potential and accommodates the widest range of participant positions.
Wireless microphones can be great problem solvers and problem creators at the same time. There is generally no local control of On/Off that your participants can easily use, so bathroom breaks must be muted by the operator. For current technology at a great price check out the Rode Wireless Go II and DJI wireless kits that provide excellent and stable wireless performance on a budget.
Audio mixers
Just select one with enough XLR inputs to accommodate your wired and wireless microphones. All will provide input level control and EQ for each input. The most important thing to know is how to set the input level for each microphone. Always follow this procedure.
Yamaha is among many manufacturers offering excellent alternatives, some with USB output. MX12XU shown here.
Audio signal processors
Analog audio signal processors manage audio levels by limiting, compressing and expanding the signal so the level stays consistent. The manufacturer dbx has provided these solutions for decades, and they’re still viable and inexpensive, like the Model 166x. Digital Signal Processors (DSP) use intelligent algorithms to manage levels and EQ, but they’re typically more expensive and complex to use. These are often associated with Dante™ digital audio systems.
Audio power amps, speakers and powered speakers
Before powered speakers became widely available, the signal path was always from the analog output of your audio mixer (line level) to one or more audio amplifiers, typically in rack-mount configurations. The power amps are connected to ceiling and/or wall-mounted passive (non-powered) speakers. 70V speaker systems are networks of loudspeakers which are connected to an audio amplifier using step-up and step-down transformers to simplify impedance calculations and to minimize power loss over the speaker cables. Powered speakers bypass the need for amplifiers, with the line out(s) of the mixer connected to those devices. Either method is fine, but powered speakers are the easiest to setup and use in many meeting spaces.
Remote participant audio integration
‘Hybrid’ meetings, that combine participants in a room with remote meeting software, are now largely an accepted form of municipal gatherings. But managing the interactive audio is a challenge because of how the signals are routed in your audio mixer. This can cause the annoying ‘feedback’, or round-robin echo that plagues such configurations. This is solved by creating a “mix minus” output on your mixer providing at least one ‘aux’ output sending a different mix of inputs to that output. The company ZOOM makes a lot of excellent and affordable audio gear, including their LiveTrak L-8 and L-12 mixers. Not only can they record individual inputs, but they also support three independent aux mixes that resolve remote meeting audio perfectly.
Summary Understanding the variables in audio production is critical in making the proper choices and optimizing your audio-for-video, which is certainly the most important aspect of your meeting recording. But I do recommend conducting a ‘class’ with your participants before the event to demonstrate how to, and how not to, interact with their microphone. Prevention is always the best alternative to an expensive cure.
Posted: July 12, 2022 by bduthaler
Switching Your Access Facility to HD
by Nick Besink, Engineer, Oradell TV
These days, more and more people are buying HD televisions, so naturally access channels want to switch to HD to accommodate it. Therefore, if you run a local access channel, where do you start? What exactly do you need to accomplish the switch to HD? What should you buy first?
If your municipality uses a statewide franchise agreement, you should be able to have them provide an HD channel.
My local access channel, OPTV, bought HD cameras first. This was a major decision to make, and a moderately expensive one – with inherent budget considerations and cases to be made for it.
Currently, many cameras have dual outputs – both HD and analog – so they can easily make the switchover without too much additional cost. If that isn’t possible, as is the case with some PTZ cameras that only have a digital output, most likely you will need to buy converters to accommodate digital-to-analog temporarily, so that your channel is able to stay on the air in the meantime.
The next item would be the switcher. There are many switchers out there, ranging in cost from a couple of thousand dollars to many thousands of dollars. The size and scope of local access facilities vary, so you will need to do your homework as to what you will need, both now and in the future. Some switchers can handle analog, SD digital, and HD digital. Of course, these will have a bigger price tag.
Another way to go is to buy a switcher that is solely digital, with the use of converters. If you have analog equipment that you want to use, but also want a new switcher, you can still buy converters that will take an analog source and output as serial digital.
Additionally, another consideration to make is that for HD broadcasting you will need to change cabling. Your choice will be either to make the cables you need, or you can buy them separately.
After the switcher, the next item to consider is the video server that feeds the cable station and OTT streaming service (if you have one). Again, all the new servers handle digital signals, both SD and HD. In the case of my station, we have Altice which requires an analog signal, so we need to use a digital-to-analog converter for broadcast to Altice customers. Verizon, however, allows for an HD signal; in our case, we also have an HD channel, which is no problem for us.
After making these decisions, over time you can consider various upgrades as needed. Most don’t require very much cost, but they all do involve time and effort to install.
Finally, as a member of JAG, you have the ability to connect with other local access facilities as to what they have done in their switchover to HD and what they plan to do. “Picking the brains” of other members is an invaluable benefit of membership. In the end, you will be very happy with the difference in picture quality with HD!
Posted: July 12, 2022 by bduthaler
Could Hulu and Netflix pay franchise fees?
by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
To continue our discussion into the possibility of having OTT providers such as Hulu and Netflix pay franchise fees in exchange for their use of the public rights-of-way, along comes a couple of stories from Reuters news about this very issue.
However, bear in mind that these are not local accounts but from across the seas. The first takes place from the country of Denmark.
“Lawmakers there have agreed global TV streaming services such as Netflix and Disney must pay a levy of 6% of their revenue in the country to support local TV production. The bill comes as governments across Europe try to secure support for local TV and film production following the rapid rise in the popularity of streaming services”. The Ministry of Culture said in a statement: “Denmark must go as far as possible in providing good public service to children and young people, which can serve as a real alternative to the tech giants’ platforms and foreign content. The fragmented media landscape following the entry of global streaming services “can challenge the cohesion and democratic dialogue in our country.” **Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Editing by Mark Potter**.
The second article comes from Switzerland. “Swiss voters backed proposals to make global TV streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon and Disney invest some of their revenues generated in Switzerland into domestic film-making.
Just over 58% of voters backed the proposal, according to the final result, in one of three national votes held under the Swiss system of direct democracy. Switzerland will become the latest European country to introduce such measures to support local TV and film production and boost locally-produced content.
“This result underlines the cultural importance of film-making in Switzerland,” Swiss Interior Minister Alain Berset told a press conference on Sunday.
In the binding referendum on what is being called “Lex Netflix”, international streaming services must invest 4% of the revenue they make in Switzerland in local film production. The investments can take the form of buying locally-made shows, making programmes themselves or go into an investment fund.”**Reporting by John Revill; Editing by Gareth Jones, David Evans and Emelia Sithole-Matarise**
Portugal has also passed a similar law where streaming service providers have to pay 1% of their income and Spain is due to introduce their own law in the very near future.
Hopefully these recent actions abroad will get the attention here in the states — especially among the 12 states that have litigation currently pending on this issue, or for those states thinking about
On a different subject relayed to me by Mike Wassenaar, President of the Alliance for Community Media, “The League of Women Voters at their national convention in late June authorized their chapters to support the Protecting Community Television Act.
The ACM is asking that PEG organizations that have a relationship with a League Chapter (either local or state), reach out to the chapter and request that they send a letter to the Congressional delegation suggesting that the Act is fully endorsed. What this now means to JAG is that we have a new avenue to pursue to make sure this important act for the PEG community is supported by all of New Jersey’s United States Senators and Representatives.
Posted: July 12, 2022 by bduthaler
JAG Membership Benefits
by Stephanie Gibbons, Membership Chair
When one thinks of the Membership Committee, it may be as the group that takes in information about a new member, welcomes them and helps them get acquainted with JAG as an organization. Or you may think of us as that irritating committee that pesters you to fill out a membership survey. But the Membership Committee is much more than that. This committee is continually looking at JAG from the member’s point of view… why did you join JAG? Are you getting the most out of your membership? Are there other benefits you need or want? So the committee recently when back to the drawing board as to the membership categories we offer and what is most valuable to each of the types of membership.
JAG will be celebrating its 21st anniversary soon and as most things two decades old we have changed from when we formed this organization in 2001. When we started, only municipal stations were members but we soon realized that other entities were also making and delivering content. The committee also had to look at how we deliver our content, which has vastly changed, and to examine how we integrate these new technologies and process our workflows.
While many of the JAG benefits provide assistance to all of the categories there are benefits that are specific to each category.
• For municipal & public members JAG provides assistance in communication with residents using social media. That has developed into live hybrid meetings integrating Zoom and establishing delivery to various platforms.
• For non-profit schools JAG offers schools that are producing video content ways to expand distribution of the work of students. Through the Student Symposium, JAG gives students an opportunity to attend events to explore careers in the growing field of video production.
• For Colleges/Universities members JAG allows students free attendance to the JAG Conference giving them the opportunity to visit with manufacturers and learn about the latest in video production equipment on our trade show floor. Students can attend workshop sessions regarding all the components of video production.
• For Independent Producers JAG gives them access to a wider distribution network through the JAG Connect server and JAG’s You Tube Channel, as well as the ability to find freelance support.
• For Non Profit Organizations JAG gives them access to a wider distribution network through the JAG Connect server and JAG’s You Tube Channel.
• For Organizational Vendors/Manufacturers JAG provides expanded marketing capabilities to municipalities, schools, colleges/universities, non-profit organizations and independent producers.
JAG keeps vendors and manufacturers in front of the decision makers who are responsible for evaluating and purchasing equipment.
The items listed are just one specific benefit for each category among all the benefits of your membership in JAG. One of the most frequent responses we receive from new members is how glad they are that they have someone like them to talk to about similar issues. And now they have other people to talk to about possible solutions. The Membership committee produced the chart below that provides a general overview of all of JAG’s member benefits. Please take some time to look it over as you may find that you have benefits that you did not know you had. JAG encourages its members to take advantage of all the benefits it offers. I want to thank the membership committee members for all their hard work on this project. Reviewing the member benefits is a key ingredient to JAG’s new marketing plan. We believe it will aid in the pursuit of new members in all membership categories. Finally, if you believe in what JAG does and you like to talk to other people about JAG then you can help. The Membership committee is looking for new members; we meet for approximately an hour on the first Tuesday of the month. We also do outreach to former and lapsed members to renew their membership. We need help with this outreach and this is a great way to meet and talk to other JAG members. This is a great way to get more involved in JAG, so please join our committee, JAG needs you too!
Click here to download benefits chart.
Posted: July 12, 2022 by bduthaler
Spotlight: WestMilford – Stations Come in Many Sizes
by Geoffrey Belinfante, West Milford
West Milford is one of the smallest stations to be a member of JAG. We are run by a seven-member volunteer board lead by Chairman and JAG Trustee Bob Nicholson. We operate on a meager budget of $4800 a year which we get from Altice, the one and only cable provider in town—no Fios up here in the Highlands. We do produce content on a regular basis and while the pandemic changed the kind of productions we attempt, we are slowly returning to a more normal production schedule. We continued to stream the Town Council and Board of Education meetings even during the pandemic. Since the meetings were not open to the public much of 2020 and the first part of 2021, the town council and mayor really appreciated our efforts to provide coverage of the meetings to our residents. We also produced a virtual Memorial Day message from the mayor in lieu of the traditional parade in 2020 and we carried the virtual high school graduations in 2020 and 2021. All these efforts provided a sense of normalcy in what was anything but a normal time for our town.
When things loosened up in the spring of 2021, we began to once again cover the summer concerts in town sponsored by the library and the rec department. These are outdoor events so our volunteers felt comfortable doing the work necessary to photograph them. We were even able to put together a crew to shoot the National Night Out celebration which was quite well attended and provided a proper forum for our residents to learn more about the efforts of our first responders. In September 2021, we began a regularly scheduled on camera update from the township’s recreation director highlighting the latest offerings from his department.
One of the unexpected results of the Covid 19 epidemic has been the increased awareness and appreciation of all that we do to help the town communicate with its residents. Both the mayor and the administrator have personally expressed their gratitude for the work we have done during the health crisis and they have demonstrated their appreciation with some special appropriations that have allowed us to purchase some new equipment, most notably a LiveU solo that will allow us to stream from virtually any location in town. Although we own three JVC cameras, right now we have no way of using them together for a multi-camera shoot. We are hoping to receive an additional budget allocation this year that will allow us to purchase a computer, a switcher and a wireless intercom system that will allow us to do productions where all three cameras can work together. The next big thing we need is a studio to house our equipment. Currently, it all sits in a cabinet in the council chamber.
This year WM77 won its first Award of Excellence for a show we produced on a Civil War Re-enactment at the Long Pond Iron Works here in West Milford. It turns out that the Iron Works made musket muzzles for the Union army during the Civil War which gave the production special meaning to those in town who enjoy history. We are hoping that such recognition will inspire our town council to grant our request for a switcher. Time will tell.
Like every volunteer channel, we have had trouble getting and keeping volunteers. The pandemic certainly didn’t help the situation. With only seven commissioners, only four who shoot, we can’t possible cover all the events that occur in town. After much discussion, we have developed an idea that we hope will allow more people and organizations to contribute content to the channel. With the help of the library director, the commissioners hope to offer classes to people interested in producing and editing videos for the channel. We are encouraging the use of cell phones to let parents shoot videos of various sports organizations, scout troops, Four H and Future Farmers of America organizations (yes, we have farms up here in West Milford). We may be lowering the bar on the production quality of some of the content on the station, but we feel there is great value in increasing the amount of local content on the channel. Unfortunately, we have yet to implement this idea, but when we do, I’ll let you know if it generates any new programming for the station. Although we are small in numbers, we program a channel for 24 hours a day thanks to the JAG server. We hope our efforts will lead to more local content and increase the value of the channel to the township.
Posted: July 12, 2022 by bduthaler
The Eastern Video Expo……. There and back again!
by Paul Distefano, Eastern Regional Sales Manager, DeSisti
After the two-year hiatus as a result of the apocalypse, as I like to refer to it, what a pleasure it was to participate in this year’s Eastern Video Expo, IN PERSON, again! Since I was privileged to have been a part of the expo, in all its forms and names, since its start in 2003, I was asked to comment on this year’s conference. When I was asked, the first thing that came to mind was the term “full circle”.
I distinctly remember how this whole thing came about. It was the Spring of 2002. I was working for Visual Sound of Broomall, PA. My rep from Panasonic, Pat Bucher, asked me if I wanted to join him for a meeting of this group called JAG. He said that he was invited to do a presentation at one of the monthly meetings. I remember sitting through the meeting with Pat, and AFTER the nice long meeting, we had about 30 minutes to demo the AG-DVX100 camcorder. Pat pretty much did the demo and I let those in attendance know I could sell it to them! At a later date, I was invited, this time solo, by the group and did another quick demo and talk after quietly sitting through one of your meetings.
Skip ahead about a year and I was asked to design a video system for the new Metuchen Municipal Building council chambers that was currently under construction. I did a proposal for Rich Desimone who was the station manager at the time, and then waited for what seemed like forever, as the construction project seemed to drag on for one reason or another. Finally, the township was ready to move forward and publish a bid spec based on my design. I submitted my bid documents and went to the municipal complex, which was still temporarily housed in several trailers, for the bid opening.
While I was waiting with Rich, we started chatting. Somehow, we started talking about the current way that vendor presentations took place at the meetings. I cannot recall specifics, but I am pretty sure that I said something to the effect of…… “you know, Rich, we really love you guys and are happy to present and demo at your monthly meetings, but ya think we can do it without having to sit through all the business that did not concern us and wait until the very end of the meeting? I mean, by that time, everyone is itching to leave and we do not exactly get too much mindshare”. Again…… probably paraphrasing, but I can imagine it was something like that! Then, we started to brainstorm. Not sure who, exactly, came up with the idea, but the discussion ended up with me saying something to the effect of….. “What about this…… What if I can get 10 or 12 of my vendors on board and ask them to kick in a couple of hundred bucks….. enough to cover the cost of a ballroom at a hotel……. And what if I have the ballroom sectioned off so you guys can have your meeting there? I would have the room for the day…… You guys could check out products from several vendors before and after your meeting…… the vendors would be able to get in front of dozens of potential customers in one shot……. JAG might get better attendance to one of the monthly meetings……. And I will have the hotel cater a lunch for all……. Do you think the membership of JAG would be interested?”.
Well, Rich thought this was a great idea, but I think it took a little coaxing for him to convince some of the others. So, with the blessing of the JAG board, I got a green light and started lining up vendors. We chose the Clarion in Edison, figuring a central location would help get people from both north and south to make the trip. It was a success. I think the turnout was much higher than any previous JAG monthly meetings. If memory serves, I believe that over 75 members either attended the meeting or came before or after just to check out the vendors’ wares. I remember having to get more food brought in! The twelve vendors who supported me in this endeavor all thought it was the best use of $250.00 that they could have asked for. I remember one telling me, “do you know how long it would take, and how much it would cost me to visit all these customers?”. It was a great success……. And it was also my last day at Visual Sound!
Rich organized it again the following year and, this time, I participated as one of the vendors, Shadowstone. Once JAG took over the event, it grew and grew and became a major event for TV professionals in the northeast, eventually being rebranded as the Eastern Video Expo. While at Shadowstone & 4Wall, I was delighted when I was able to buy blocks of tables and get several of my vendors to partner with me to create a whole lighting section of the trade show floor. Once, I was even able to buy an entire row for my vendors with truss archways, complete with color changing LEDs and moving lights, and branded it the “Lighting Pavilion”. Workshops grew in number and included wider ranges of topics. The Affinity Luncheon was created, with a moderator and host at each table to lead the group in a discussion of a particular topic. The first two years I participated were a blast. Our tables had some great spirited talks! The Vendor of the Year award was added and, on behalf of my fellow vendors, we really appreciated your recognition of our efforts to support you all….. And the whole cake thing and “serving the PEG community”….. Genius! I was honored to be there from the beginning and watch it evolve the way it did up to its peak, I believe in 2019, with the largest number of vendors and attendees. And then…… the apocalypse!
Jump forward to 2022, and this year’s Expo reminded me very much of those first two that I helped get off the ground. Sure, we had the banquet, all the virtual workshops, and such, but we were back in a single room at the Clarion Edison, now called the Crowne Plaza. We were back to just a few vendors rather than dozens. But, even with the smaller number of vendors and attendees than we had become accustomed to, I would say this year’s Expo was a complete success……. Just like that first one in 2003!
In my conversations with everyone, the overwhelming sentiment was that it was great to just get together again. All felt these were the first baby steps towards getting back to what the Eastern Video Expo had become. In speaking with other vendors, there was nothing but enthusiasm for the future of the event. Some of us talked about forming an advisory committee to help JAG plan future Expos, with ideas to expand participation, workshops, and events. In the past, we used to set up a stage for the purpose of recording content that could be used by various JAG member stations. This year, the idea of setting up a stage again, with several vendors supplying gear, was discussed. But rather than just recording content, it could be used to broadcast live programming, interactive workshops, and such. If we market it right, the Eastern Video Expo, and JAG, could go global! All these great ideas came up, literally, at the close of the show! Imagine what we could come up with if a group of creative individuals from JAG and the organizational member companies got together to brainstorm and discuss ideas in the light of the currently available technology.
Yes……. The apocalypse slowed us down a bit. But, as a group, we have gone full circle, and we are back! If we all work together, I am confident that we can grow the Expo back, even better than we did before, and introduce our group to the entire country….. and beyond! Should be easy…. After all, we’ve done it before!
Posted: June 9, 2022 by bduthaler
5 Takeaways from My First Eastern Video Expo
By Dana Healy, VP Cablecast Community Media
The Jersey Access Group hosted the Eastern Video Expo LIVE for the first time in a couple of years. Hello! My name is Dana Healy, and I’m the VP of Cablecast Community Media. This was my first time attending the Eastern Video Expo! Being the new kid on the block, every attendee I met was a new face. Here are my 5 take-aways from the New Jersey-based event.
1.Passion Runs Deep
From vendors to attendees to trustee members, there was no shortage of passion for the industry. People swapped stories about increasing access in their communities, assisting cities in media production, and educating the incoming generation. It reminded me of the culture of Cablecast. We build the easiest to use broadcast automation software and video servers so that our passionate customers have more time to focus on their mission of serving their communities.
2.Feels Like Family
Attendees greeted each other like old friends with big smiles and hearty hugs. I asked a few attendees like Doug Seidel and Bob Duthaler the last time they saw their colleagues in person. Years! Gathering in person for this event felt more like a homecoming than a conference. I had a chance to chat with Monica Jackson of Highland Park, and Ken Morgan, a long-time community media volunteer, about their work, and passion for the JAG mission. The atmosphere was relaxed and made it easy to connect with people over a lunch meal or drinks.
3.Reconnecting with Friends
Michael D’Amato, Broadcast Communications Manager for the Township of Edison, and longtime Cablecast customer, stopped by to reconnect. Bob Smith, Cablecast’s Inside Sales Rep, had a chance to visit the Edison, NJ facility to learn firsthand how the Township of Edison is utilizing its Cablecast equipment and to answer questions.
4.Vendors Show Up
From Varto Technologies to Municipal Captioning to Cablecast Community Media, the vendors constructed impressive displays and executed dynamic demonstrations for attendees. It was an intense version of show and tell. Varto and Yervant of Varto Technologies displayed three tables of hardware to show the attendees! Daniell Krawczyk and Rob Gelber of Municipal Captioning hosted coloring contests at their technicolored booth. Bob Smith at Cablecast showered attendees with swag and demonstrations!
5.Attendees Lead the Conversation
The JAG attendees have spoken! The Cablecast booth was hopping with inquisitive people. The Cablecast team guided their questions through the Cablecast VIO Stream to the Cablecast CG bulletin board. It was evident that the Cablecast CG Bulletin Board was the product of interest. As the newbie attending the conference, I felt quite at home chatting with trustees and attendees. If I didn’t meet you, connect with me on LinkedIn! I’d love to hear your takeaways from the event.