By Bob Duthaler, Executive Board, Chair
I said this throughout the Eastern Video Expo and even in another article in this newsletter (Challenge – figure out what article and email me your answer), it was great to have an in-person portion of this year’s event, something we have not been able to do since 2019. But what helped separate this year’s event was our hybrid approach. Our in-person Trade Show as bookended by two virtual conference session days. Once again, we were able to pull in tremendous speakers throughout the country as they shared their knowledge and learning experience throughout their career.
For those of you who were able to attend all the sessions and came to the in-person events, I thank you very much. The support you showed to the organization is greatly appreciated. Additionally, I hope you got a lot out of our conference, and you walked away with a greater appreciation for what we do, a deeper knowledge of our industry and an excitement for what the future of our industry brings. This is what our conference provided all those who attended.
For those who attended this year’s conference, our sessions will be available shortly for you to go back and watch again. If you did not register for the conference, we will provide you with an opportunity to register, pay and gain access to all the sessions along with the JAG Awards. If you missed this year’s event, send me an email at bduthaler@jagonline.org and I will help you “post-conference” register, so you gain access to all our material.
Here is a rundown of some of the Operational and Technology Session you will want to watch again or even for the first time for others:
Documentary Storytelling and Short Marketing Videos
Daniel Glick, a seasoned documentary filmmaker, will talk about his process of making and developing projects – both short form and feature length – and the many challenges and rewards that come with the process. He will also talk about the value of using the documentary form in marketing for businesses, an approach that can be useful for townships and nonprofits too.
Franchise Renewal- What should you expect?
What is the status of cable subscribers? Can I get an HD Channel? How is the FCC order effecting your current franchise agreement? What kind of legislation is out there trying to protect PEG? These topics along with results of stations resent franchise negotiations will be discussed. Panelists J Robertson and Mike Wassenaar
Ask the Lawyers
There is a lot of interesting things happening in community media. Broadband, the 6th Circuit Court cable franchise decision, closed captioning, rights of way as well as FAA new rules on drones. Join, ask, or just listen to the lawyers, as they relate to you what is exactly going on and how it may affect your world in the very near future. Panelist Nancy Werner and Brandon Dittmar
Station Manager’s Round Table – Ask The Tech
We continued our popular Manager’s Round Table Discussions. Now is the chance for you to ask engineering and technical questions and have them answered by experts in the industry. Join us as we discuss our operational needs, problems, questions, and solutions. Panelists Nick Besink and John Micewicz.
In addition to those sessions listed above I urge to you take another look at these sessions as well:
Social Media Marketing Beyond Facebook
Facebook isn’t the only social media platform out there, in fact your audience might be waiting for you in a different platform. Join our panel of social media experts to discuss Twitter, Instagram, TicTok and more. In other words, find the social media that is waiting for your content. Panelists Cyd Katz and Leontyne Anglin
Lighting isn’t for exposure – it’s for communication
Award Winning cinematographer David Landau will give a workshop on how to use lighting as a storytelling element. Different interviews can call for different lighting, based on how we want the viewer to perceive what is being said. A better understanding of light and how lighting affects the perceptions of the viewer will help you create better images that communicate what you want the viewer to feel and think about what they are watching. All of this can be accomplished without large amounts of lighting units as David will demonstrate.
How to Make An Award Winning Video
With the tools to create video available to anyone with a cellphone, it’s never been more challenging to produce award winning productions. Mike Kostel, the Executive Director of the New York office of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences and an Emmy award winning producer will share with us his thoughts on what makes an award-winning television production. We’ll discuss things like choosing a compelling subject; how to structure a show for maximum impact; what storytelling techniques you can use to entertain and inform: and how to work with a production team post Covid.
Interview Tips and Tricks
Barry Farber is a best-selling author of 14 business and inspirational books in over 30 languages, an award winning radio and television host as well as an agent and marketing consultant for corporations, professional athletes, and entertainers. He’s also the creator and marketer of the FoldzFlat® Pens. His latest release is a children’s book and animated TV Series: The Adventures of Little Billy “IN SEARCH OF THE MAGIC TREE.” The life lessons contained in The Adventures of Little Billy are the basis of Farber’s new podcast aimed at parents of young children. In the podcast, also titled “IN SEARCH OF THE MAGIC TREE,” Farber interviews, celebrities, athletes, entertainers, business leaders, educators, brain surgeons and more about building with children at an early age a foundation for success throughout life. Learn more about Barry Farber at www.barryfarber.com.
Thank to our sponsors: Diamond-TelVue, Titanium-Varto Technologies, Gold- Municipal Captioning, Silver- Planet Network, Bronze- RUSHWORKS, Copper- Cablecast Community Media Thanks to the Conference Committee: Bob Duthaler & Geoffery Belinfante, Co-Chairs, George Fairfield, Vice Chair, Doug Seidel, Secretary, Linda Besink, Treasurer, Rick Gearhart, Anthony Pagliuco, Dave Garb, and J Robertson.
News & Events
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.
Posted: June 9, 2022 by bduthaler
Spotlight Clark: New Facility is a Very Busy Place in Clark
By Don Smith, Staff, Clark TV
Clark TV-36 is owned and operated by the Township of Clark as OurClark Media TV36 which is part of the Communications and Business Development Department under the Direction of Elizabeth Clee. The TV-36 Staff includes Phil Scardilli, TV/Multimedia Teacher at ALJ High School who has been with the station for 20 years and Don Smith who brings over 25 years of experience in local television.
TV-36 covers Council Meetings, Board of Ed Meetings, Zoning Board Meetings, Planning Board Meetings and any other governmental meetings that need coverage. The studio is also used to do emergent news reporting to the community about various situations that may arise in the township.
Our mayor and council believe TV-36 should be an extension of the services the Township provides and a reflection of life in the community. As such, the staff attends all Township events and numerous recreational ones to provide coverage via TV36, YouTube and other social media platforms to all residents. Some of those events include: the Little League/Softball Parade, Memorial Day Parade, 9-11 Ceremony, Annual UNICO Festival in October, Recreation’s Trunk or Treat, Veteran’s Day ceremony and the much-loved Winter Wonderland/Tree Lighting.
Additionally, the TV-36 staff broadcasts school and library events of interest such as concerts, talent shows, graduations, sporting events, guest speakers, special programming and much more. In 2021 the studio staff began interviewing local experts and professionals to create short videos on various topics of interest to our viewers. We even created a set of commercials reminding locals to “Shop Clark for the Holidays.”
In the next year, we are planning to invite residents with special interests, talents and a willingness to share, to slide in front of our cameras and do what they do best for our audience.
Our facility has just finished a multi-year remodel and upgrade to state-of-the-art equipment.
The studio is run with a TriCaster TC1 unit which is fed by
3 Sony Studio Cameras HXC-FB80SN with HDVFL750 VF/20X Lens and Viewfinder controlled by 3 Camera Control Units (Sony HXCU-FB80N) for Full 1080p Resolution
Our Bulletin Board is powered by the Infovue system Player and 1 Remote stick, and Show Management is controlled by a Leightronix Ultra HD Server running through a Blackmagic Smart Video Hub.
The biggest upgrade was to our council chambers infrastructure with 5 Sony PTZ Cameras controlled remotely from our control room to the brand new Court/Council Chambers and Police HQ across the street all brought in with bi-Directional Fiber. In addition to the cameras, we are able to control 4-65 inch Sony monitors on the walls in the courtroom with full control of audio and video to the room with a Crestron Control Unit.
We also have Fiber lines to the high school football field for live games as well as a fiber line to the high school auditorium.
In addition to the fiber feeds, we have a LiveU Solo Unit that enables us to go live anywhere throughout the town. TV-36 is set for the future needs of the community and will continue to grow its programming for years to come.
Posted: June 9, 2022 by bduthaler
An Exciting Night at the JAG Awards
By George Fairfield, JAG Awards Committee, Chair
The curtain has come down on another JAG Awards season. On behalf of JAG and the Awards Committee, I congratulate everyone; not only all the Award of Excellence, Distinction, & Recognition winners, but also ALL those who entered even just one program into the JAG Awards. These days it is not easy for a PEG station, a Non-profit, or an Independent Producer to create a program. We all have budgets to navigate through; we all have to maneuver through the different agendas along our paths; and let us not forget how we all must constantly pilot through the obstacles the pandemic keeps throwing into our way. Nevertheless, with all this and more swirling around, our PEG community produced and entered into the JAG Awards Competition some of the most diverse programs ever. AND we had some of the most diversity among the winners than I can recall.
We had small PEG stations with volunteer crews winning Award of Excellence! We had Non-profit organizations winning Award of Excellence! And we had Independent Producers winning Award of Excellence! There were twelve different JAG members who won an Award of Excellence award. That is 12 different members of JAG winning at least one of the possible 16 Award of Excellence awards which were presented during the awards ceremony. Also during the awards ceremony, there were eight different JAG members winning an Award of Distinction certificate and seven different members winning an Award of Recognition certificate.
On top of all these winners, the JAG Awards Committee handed out 29 gold certificates and 24 silver certificates. Literally, every entry was awarded an adjudicated certificate. This is more individual members receiving more recognition for their hard work than have ever been awarded before.
Here is a link https://jagonline.org/jag-award-winners/ to the complete list of winners for each category.
Along with all of these new adjudicated certificates and awards, a whole new method of tracking each entry as it moved through the competition needed to be developed and implemented. Thank goodness for TelVue & Google because everything was now to be handled online. The committee’s greatest worry was to accidentally award an entry the wrong award or completely lose an entry, but thankfully, the hard work and dedication of the JAG Awards Committee paid off. There were no wrong awards handed out; no entry left out during its journey to the TelVue Connect then out to the judges; no score sheet lost during its journey from Google forms to the judges and back; and finally no foul ups at the awards ceremony. I would like to take this moment and thank the committee members; Dave Garb, Valerie Stevens, and Ronni Garrett. Without you I would have completely lost my mind and something somewhere certainly would have been missed or forgotten. I also want to give an extra thank you to Ronni Garrett for running master control during the awards ceremony at the banquet, you kept us on track and on time; and to Samantha Urash, you are always a pleasure and a professional to work with on stage; and I cannot forget to thank J Robertson for flying all the way from Hawaii to MC the Jag Awards. Ok, he didn’t come just to MC the JAG Awards, but my gratitude is no less. Thanks to all of you for making this year’s JAG Awards Ceremony a wonderful event.
The JAG Awards Committee would also like to thank Planet Networks for your sponsorship of the JAG Awards. We could not have given out so many awards in person if it was not for your support.
We all know the first rule to having a successful production is to feed your crew (or guest) well and adding happy hour with spirits is a great bonus. In recognition of this, the awards committee thanks Municipal Captioning for your sponsorship of the cocktail hour and Varto Technologies for your sponsorship of the banquet. Without these sponsors, setting the tone for the evening, the awards ceremony would not have been as much of a success as it was. But the greatest thanks goes to all the JAG Awards participants. Without you, for starters, all of our stations would have far less programming to air and let’s face it, the judges would just be looking at static on a monitor. On behalf of the awards committee, we look forward to seeing what you produce this year and enter into next year’s JAG Awards.
Posted: June 9, 2022 by bduthaler
An Exceptional Event For Operational and Technology Training at the Eastern Video Expo
By Bob Duthaler, Executive Board, Chair
I said this throughout the Eastern Video Expo and even in another article in this newsletter (Challenge – figure out what article and email me your answer), it was great to have an in-person portion of this year’s event, something we have not been able to do since 2019. But what helped separate this year’s event was our hybrid approach. Our in-person Trade Show as bookended by two virtual conference session days. Once again, we were able to pull in tremendous speakers throughout the country as they shared their knowledge and learning experience throughout their career.
For those of you who were able to attend all the sessions and came to the in-person events, I thank you very much. The support you showed to the organization is greatly appreciated. Additionally, I hope you got a lot out of our conference, and you walked away with a greater appreciation for what we do, a deeper knowledge of our industry and an excitement for what the future of our industry brings. This is what our conference provided all those who attended.
For those who attended this year’s conference, our sessions will be available shortly for you to go back and watch again. If you did not register for the conference, we will provide you with an opportunity to register, pay and gain access to all the sessions along with the JAG Awards. If you missed this year’s event, send me an email at bduthaler@jagonline.org and I will help you “post-conference” register, so you gain access to all our material.
Here is a rundown of some of the Operational and Technology Session you will want to watch again or even for the first time for others:
Documentary Storytelling and Short Marketing Videos
Daniel Glick, a seasoned documentary filmmaker, will talk about his process of making and developing projects – both short form and feature length – and the many challenges and rewards that come with the process. He will also talk about the value of using the documentary form in marketing for businesses, an approach that can be useful for townships and nonprofits too.
Franchise Renewal- What should you expect?
What is the status of cable subscribers? Can I get an HD Channel? How is the FCC order effecting your current franchise agreement? What kind of legislation is out there trying to protect PEG? These topics along with results of stations resent franchise negotiations will be discussed. Panelists J Robertson and Mike Wassenaar
Ask the Lawyers
There is a lot of interesting things happening in community media. Broadband, the 6th Circuit Court cable franchise decision, closed captioning, rights of way as well as FAA new rules on drones. Join, ask, or just listen to the lawyers, as they relate to you what is exactly going on and how it may affect your world in the very near future. Panelist Nancy Werner and Brandon Dittmar
Station Manager’s Round Table – Ask The Tech
We continued our popular Manager’s Round Table Discussions. Now is the chance for you to ask engineering and technical questions and have them answered by experts in the industry. Join us as we discuss our operational needs, problems, questions, and solutions. Panelists Nick Besink and John Micewicz.
In addition to those sessions listed above I urge to you take another look at these sessions as well:
Social Media Marketing Beyond Facebook
Facebook isn’t the only social media platform out there, in fact your audience might be waiting for you in a different platform. Join our panel of social media experts to discuss Twitter, Instagram, TicTok and more. In other words, find the social media that is waiting for your content. Panelists Cyd Katz and Leontyne Anglin
Lighting isn’t for exposure – it’s for communication
Award Winning cinematographer David Landau will give a workshop on how to use lighting as a storytelling element. Different interviews can call for different lighting, based on how we want the viewer to perceive what is being said. A better understanding of light and how lighting affects the perceptions of the viewer will help you create better images that communicate what you want the viewer to feel and think about what they are watching. All of this can be accomplished without large amounts of lighting units as David will demonstrate.
How to Make An Award Winning Video
With the tools to create video available to anyone with a cellphone, it’s never been more challenging to produce award winning productions. Mike Kostel, the Executive Director of the New York office of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences and an Emmy award winning producer will share with us his thoughts on what makes an award-winning television production. We’ll discuss things like choosing a compelling subject; how to structure a show for maximum impact; what storytelling techniques you can use to entertain and inform: and how to work with a production team post Covid.
Interview Tips and Tricks
Barry Farber is a best-selling author of 14 business and inspirational books in over 30 languages, an award winning radio and television host as well as an agent and marketing consultant for corporations, professional athletes, and entertainers. He’s also the creator and marketer of the FoldzFlat® Pens. His latest release is a children’s book and animated TV Series: The Adventures of Little Billy “IN SEARCH OF THE MAGIC TREE.” The life lessons contained in The Adventures of Little Billy are the basis of Farber’s new podcast aimed at parents of young children. In the podcast, also titled “IN SEARCH OF THE MAGIC TREE,” Farber interviews, celebrities, athletes, entertainers, business leaders, educators, brain surgeons and more about building with children at an early age a foundation for success throughout life. Learn more about Barry Farber at www.barryfarber.com.
Thank to our sponsors: Diamond-TelVue, Titanium-Varto Technologies, Gold- Municipal Captioning, Silver- Planet Network, Bronze- RUSHWORKS, Copper- Cablecast Community Media Thanks to the Conference Committee: Bob Duthaler & Geoffery Belinfante, Co-Chairs, George Fairfield, Vice Chair, Doug Seidel, Secretary, Linda Besink, Treasurer, Rick Gearhart, Anthony Pagliuco, Dave Garb, and J Robertson.
Posted: June 9, 2022 by bduthaler
Straight from Ask the Lawyers Session at the Eastern Video Expo
By Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
Last month we talked about the legal action which has begun here in New Jersey against over-the-top service providers and their franchise fee obligations.
The Borough of Longport and Township of Irvington had filed a class action complaint against v. Netflix, Inc. and Hulu, LLC, alleging they had violated New Jersey’s Cable Television Act by not paying franchise fees to municipalities in exchange for their use of the public rights-of-way.
Coming straight from the “Ask the Lawyers” session at our Eastern Video Expo, Nancy Werner, General Counselor for NATOA gave us an update on where this situation stands. “On May 19th, the federal district court where this case was pending, issued a decision dismissing the case. So they agreed with the defendants, the streaming companies, that the city’s municipalities couldn’t bring these cases. And in a way, maybe it doesn’t resonate with everybody, but the court didn’t decide on the merits. They didn’t say these companies don’t fall under the New Jersey statute. The court said that the borough and the township who sued did not have the authority to sue. There’s no private right of action under the statute. So basically the implication is the BPU could decide that they think that these over the top providers are subject to your law. But the local governments can’t be the ones to try to enforce that through the courts.”
Nancy further went on to say “There’s actually at least 12 other state litigations similar to New Jersey’s, although most of those states have similar statutes, they are different from New Jersey. So you guys are still you’re still special. So I make that distinction because in these other states where this is happening and a decision has been reached by the courts, they have said, no, that these streaming services are not video service providers. I think maybe all of them have defined a term called video service provider in the same way. That’s defined in a different way than New Jersey law is. So they’re not directly applicable. But I think the arguments are going to be exactly the same in New Jersey if it ever got to that. But I do think it’s good for the local government side that the court didn’t go into that substantive decision, because in other courts, as I said, the court said you don’t have standing to sue and these aren’t video service providers and they don’t provide video service. And you’re wrong in every single conceivable way we can think of. You didn’t get that decision in New Jersey. They just said, no, no, no. We think the BPU has to bring this case.”
JAG now has a possible avenue to help our municipalities in this interesting situation. It will be discussed and debated in our future board meetings.
On a different subject that was also brought up at the “Ask the Lawyers” session, there is a whole bunch of grant funding going to states from the federal government for broadband deployment, over $40 billion. President Biden announced a couple of weeks ago a voluntary initiative of around 20 broadband providers who have agreed to provide 100 megabit service for $30. And the $30 number comes from a plan called the Affordable Connectivity Program, or ACP which Congress adopted to provide this $30 subsidy for low income households to afford broadband. And so what the President did was to get some Internet providers together and make sure you have an ACP. But it’s really just to make sure that the people who qualify for this low income broadband subsidy will have a high, a truly high speed plan that they can tap into through this subsidy.
Lastly also coming from the “Ask the Lawyers” Session, Brandon Dittman from the law firm of Kissinger & Fellman, P.C. added his thoughts to a question on Drone usage. “The federal government and specifically the FAA is the only one that can really regulate the technical requirements of how a drone works and how you can use it. You know, the flight aspects of a drone, all the local government or state can do is really regulate where it can be used more or less. And this is where it gets a lot more complicated
Before the FAA stepped in and promulgated what is now very extensive regulations on the commercial and recreational use of drones, states tried to step in and do some of this work. Several boroughs and townships and New Jersey tried to implement local rules and at this point in time, you know what the case law on this is, most of those have been overruled or preempted by federal law to the extent that they reach into really the flight aspects of drones or aircraft pursuant to case law.
And therefore, the FAA really has exclusive jurisdiction over their operation. And so from a practical perspective, there’s not really any state laws because really the FAA is occupied the field in its entirety with regard to at least the operational aspects of drones. Now, if you, pass a state law or more likely a local law that you can only take off or land it in a particular area, that may be worth looking at. But otherwise, with regards in terms of how you can operate your aircraft, you really got to look at the FAA rules. That’s the only thing that matters at this point.”
Legislator of the Year Award Recipient
At the 2022 JAG Awards, held on May 25th, the Jersey Access Group proudly honored Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman of the 12th Legislative District with the “2022 Legislator of the Year Award”.
This award was given in recognition of her efforts in preserving the mission of local media here in New Jersey and throughout our nation.
Through her support to protect the local PEG channels and her willingness to be a co-sponsor of the Protecting Community Television Act, and by sending a letter to the FCC Chair along with Congressman Donald Payne, to rescind the FCC’s August 1, 2019 Third Report and Order (621) she has demonstrated to our members her understanding of issues facing municipalities in NJ and around the country.
She has truly shown her understanding of the importance of local access television and the role these stations play in getting information to the communities they serve
Though she could not attend in person, Congresswomen Watson Coleman did send us this message of gratitude:
May 25, 2022
Dear Friends:
I want to thank the Jersey Access Group for honoring me with the 2022 Legislator of the Year Award. I’m sorry I am unable to attend this evening, but I want to take this opportunity to express how I view the importance of your work.
In a time when the volume of commercial media to which we are constantly exposed can seem overwhelming, your work in protecting and in expanding access to PEG channels is so important. We’re seeing more and more that most people are getting their news from national sources that often don’t have an interest in covering the local news that most directly impacts people.
These are crucial access points for community members and are valuable resources that require our commitment and protection. Local media is struggling right now but the work of The Jersey Access Group and other organizations like it will ensure that everyday people get the information they need to fully participate in their communities.
My sincere appreciation once again for this recognition.
Thank you,
Posted: June 9, 2022 by bduthaler
JAG Sharing Programs & Knowledge
by Jesse Lerman, President/CEO, TelVue
It was a welcome change to finally be back in person at the Eastern Video Expo 2022. One of the big benefits of in-person events is how much easier it is to engage when it comes to feedback and collaborative-based discussions such as User Groups. So we were excited to be hosting the JAG Shared Server User Group to kick off the in-person conference day. The JAG Shared Server is one of the many great perks of being a JAG Member Station, making it easy to share programming within the JAG community and find relevant local programming for your station. Here are some interesting statistics from JAG Shared Server:
We were unsure what the turnout would be like for an 8:30am User Group, after a two-year gap from anything in-person. We were thrilled to see so many JAG members (and J! perhaps thinking about a Hawaii Media Exchange?) present bright and early, ready to learn all of the tips and tricks to get the most out of the JAG Shared Server!
We kicked things off with a high level overview to make sure everyone knew the basics both from a Syndicator’s (uploader) and Affiliate’s (downloader) standpoint. This included basic uploading, metadata tagging and downloading. After that, we dove into advanced topics that garnered a lot more discussion, including tips and tricks and time-saving workflows. Key topics were:
The JAG Shared Server User Group was highly engaging and was a big success. Attendees shared best practices from a member station’s perspective, and often explained things better than we could! We also received feedback that additional “getting started” documentation would be helpful for new members who are on-boarding. Stay tuned; we’ll be back in touch with that and more! Thanks to all who attended the JAG Shared Server User Group, and on behalf of the TelVue team and your JAG Shared Server technology partner, it was fantastic to collaborate in-person again!