by Bob Duthaler
A Look Back At 2021 and Looking Forward To 2022
The best way to get a feel for what the future of an organization holds is to look at its past. With that thought in mind, I though it important to share with you the year end reports from some of our committees. I hope by reading these you will realize all the effort and hard work these committees have done all for the betterment of our members.
External Relations Committee Annual Report 2021
It was a very busy year for the External Relations Committee. Thanks to Doug Seidel, we really stepped up our marketing and image campaign on social media. In addition, we updated our website to improve both its graphics and functionality. We also added new videos of the presentations made during our monthly meetings; recordings of our webinars; and videos of the workshop we sponsored at the NJ League of Municipalities Conference. We also initiated an ongoing effort to add more documents to our library of reference material for our members.
For the first time in two years, there was an in-person League of Municipalities meeting and our booth was quite busy, perhaps because the pandemic has increased the need for townships to find new ways to engage their citizens. The Conference once again proved that it is the best chance we have each year to market JAG and the benefits of membership. The prospect for growth based on the interest exhibited at the conference is great.
The External Relations Committee, in conjunction with the Production Committee also added a YouTube Channel this year as another way to showcase the work done by our member stations. The channel was formally added to our list of member benefits.
We also have enhanced our monthly newsletter by soliciting monthly content from members and adding names to our distribution list. Doug and Rich have changed both the graphic look and the method of distribution that has increased readership and also resulted in increased traffic to our website. Rich has even developed a survey that will be distributed early in 2022 to give us some feedback on the re-invigorated newsletter.
Finally, while we are always in need of new members, this year the need is particularly acute. At the end of 2021, we bid farewell to Dustin Dumas, our vice-chairman, as she tends to her station and other responsibilities. Her input will be missed.
Leadership Development Committee (LDC)- Annual Report 2021
A Youtube Channel was created, with some “ video from AccessNJ. Those who
want to share their videos on this was invited to post their work, and it would be promoted.
An article about t his channel by Doug in the Newsletter and updates were done throughout
social media sites to get more people to subscribe to it. New Updated Website was
launched, thanks to Doug.
A new marketing plan is in the works and will hopefully be ready for 1st qtr. 2022.
LDC took on all of our P&P information (Mission Statement, Goals, Letters, etc.) and
recommended changes for the Executive Retreat in August.
Non Station Membership Category – Ramifications of Description Change:
This was for non station members to be allowed to become chairs./vice chairs. of
committees. After replies from our attorney Ken Fellman, it was decided that Non Station members will not be allowed to become chairs. or vice chairs. of committees at this time due to financial voting that effects
stations and not non station members.
External Relations Committee helped to develop the LDC Toolbox, Posted Toolbox to “Members Only” section of website, developed church letter written to encourage this market added technical documents to “Members Only” section of website.
Getting Links from Members stations up on our website. Membership helped create a new recognition award form was created and approved.
Legislative Committee Annual Report 2021
January: At the beginning of the year, PEG was waiting on the strong possibility that The Protecting Community Television Act will be re-introduced in the new Congress. The question was when/No-one knew!
March: The ramifications of the 621 Order have started to be felt. Charter, the cable provider in Rochester, NY, has invoked Order 621. It should not affect us here in New Jersey, but we kept an eye on it just in case. Altice had a BPU hearing about their State Refranchising. Bob presented JAG’s issues with them, as did many Mayors throughout the state. This gave finally to us, the contact person we have been so trying to find about our HD solutions.
April: Closed Captioning is being mentioned more and more. President Biden is a strong supporter for the ADA. Keeping an eye on it. it could become a sudden issue that everyone must comply. The Sixth District Court heard oral arguments on “621.” Portions of the Order were upheld, and a petition was filed to re-hear arguments in the 6th district court of appeals. (Still waiting on an answer)
July: From the 2021 Eastern Video Expo (Conference), “As the Lawyers” session: The committee had sent out questions to our members asking them “What did you during the pandemic that has made a difference?” All the answers will be notes and assimilated in to one document, which will be sent to legislators. The JAG Newsletter will begin to be sent to legislators.
September: 10 Responses had been received from the July question. A document to our elected officials was created using these answers.
November: In an effort to get JAG’s name out there to our politicians, this committee will begin to develop a plan to grow these relationships with federal, state and local elected officials. This may be done by contacting their local offices and set-up meetings with them – either in person or virtually.(To be ready 1st quarter 2022). Maine: enacted – Ensure Nondiscriminatory Treatment of Public, Educational and Governmental Access Channels by Cable System Operators. https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/bills_129th/chapters/PUBLIC245.asp Committee will look over this bill and learn from it.
December: The Protecting Community Television Act: has finally been reintroduced in both house of Congress. The committee quickly rewrote the letter we had previously sent to our federal legislatures. We reflected the changes to the Act as well as reminding them of who we are and what we do and what we had done during the pandemic. Do to our efforts, Reps. Payne and Watson-Coleman have signed on to co-sponsor the bill. There is some interest from Reps. Norcross and Sherrill. Sen. Booker will also “take a look at it.” Finally, there is a new FCC Commissioner, Jessica Rosenworcel. Time will tell how this will help us and the 621 Order.
Finance Committee Annual Report 2021
All required Federal and State filings were done in 2021 for the year 2020. The Finance Committee also worked closely with the Membership Committee regarding dues collection and other items, to considerable success.
Again, as in 2020, expenses were down due to COVID-related circumstances. These include travel, hotel and conference fees for those events that were virtual once again this year rather than in-person. Therefore, for 2021 the Operating expenses were under budget.
Operating Income was $18,340 vs. expenses of $21,647.
JAG Awards income was $2,158.27 with expenses of $1,852.43. It was decided that in 2022, JAG Awards will have their own separate budget.
Conference income for 2021 was $21,934 versus expenses of $6,347. The Conference was completely virtual in 2021. (It should be noted that the annual Conference was not held in 2020 due to COVID; that said, there are operating expenses for Conference, regardless.)
Membership Committee Annual Report 2021
*Mount Zion Baptist Church in Newark our first nonprofit member in January.
*Geoff Belinfante and George Fairfield joined the committee
*Changed text to the members only section on the website to: “A MEMBERS ONLY area on the website that is password protected provides members contact information and valuable information on franchise agreements, legislative matters, and white papers on technical and social media topics.”
*In February, worked on fixing issues about getting on the JAG website.
*March the response to the members questionnaire was at 50%
*The Membership committee has been requested to have a representative to NATOA. There were no volunteers, with overload the main reason, it was resolved in the fall with Geoff Belinfante volunteering
*Rutgers Cooperative Extension questioned the value of JAG for their organization, it was resolved by them becoming a nonprofit member
*By April There are 29 PEG facilities renewed for 2021, with six PO’s. Three independent producer members have renewed and seven organizational. There are two nonprofit members.
*The Committee went over the newly created form to track Newsletter usage, ListServ usage and membership status in May
*The committee did a push to reach out to former members,
*Kenilworth, Highland Park and South River returned and Also we welcomed Fanwood Borough as a new member. New Independent Producer Patricia Dunn joined after attending the virtual conference in June
*The results of the member questionnaire resulted in members asking for these other benefits:
• More benefits for Independent Producers
• Resource database of JAG members who can help others with technology
• Place for reviews of products for vendor equipment and organizations
• Help with finding grants
• List of freelance production people throughout the state
• Help with the recruitment/retention of volunteers
• Successful engagement with local HS volunteers
*This list was brought to the Executive Board for discussion at this year’s Retreat.
*There was a need to develop a new letter to welcome back JAG members who had let their memberships lapse and then came back to join the organization in October, the letter was approved in Dec.
*George Fairfield was asked and accepted the nomination for committee vice chair, temporarily
*Outreach (Former Members): Rich Desimone met casually with a couple of elected officials in Metuchen, talked about JAG and had positive reaction. George Fairfield was asked to met with the Metuchen Cable Advisory Committee, where it was mentioned that a group of cable stations should be formed. George told them there is one, and it’s JAG!
*The chair will reach out to contacts made at the League. She and Geoff & Dave G will coordinate with people they spoke to.
*Develop a League follow-up letter, which will be based on the previous one and once approved will be added to the toolbox
*Independent Member Engagement: Stephanie has a possible new member in January. She will also reach out to George McCollough to see whether independent producers in Princeton could join.
Conference Committee Annual Report 2021
After much discussion, the executive board of JAG decided to move forward with a conference in 2021 after the conference in 2020 was cancelled outright because of the Covid 19 Pandemic. However, since the worldwide heath crisis was still ongoing, it was decided that the 2021 conference was to be held virtually, something none of us in JAG had ever done.
A conference committee was formed and under Bob Duthaler’s leadership, we began to plan an ambitious program that included a limited virtual trade show, workshops and even a virtual live presentation of our annual JAG awards. Needless to say, there were some technical issues to be solved and with the help of a Zoom sales person and Doug Seidel, a framework for the conference was established, a website launched and a marketing campaign developed to tell people about the conference.
Bob hosted the entire conference from the studio in Bloomfield and he help attendees understand the flow of the conference by promoting upcoming events. The virtual nature of the conference allowed the committee to put together workshops that included people from all over the world, something that would not have been possible with a live conference. Production panels featured accomplished journalists, editors, writers, composers and producers from as far away as Great Britain. Conference and trade show support came from sponsors like Telvue Corporation, Varto Technologies, and Cablecast, with informative presentations and user group meeting from those companies and others during the conference. All workshops and presentations were recorded a posted in the members-only section of our Website.
Perhaps the highlight of the entire three-day event was the live presentation of our JAG awards thanks to George Fairfield and the staff at Piscataway TV. Congratulations to the award winners.
The entire event was both a creative and financial success thanks to the committee and the extraordinary efforts of Doug, George and Bob to coordinate the various events and produce them flawlessly.
As you can tell by all the information that each of these committees presented to our membership, they were active all year long. This year, these committees are committed to providing even more for the benefit of our members. It is important to point out, that these committees cannot do what they do without the support of our members. I urge all members to find a committee that they have some interest in, and spend a few hours each year participating.
News & Events
Posted: April 12, 2022 by bduthaler
Stepping Up Your Station Operations
by Bob Duthaler, Executive Board, Chair
Part of JAG’s ongoing effort is to educate stations on strategies which can help them operate a better station. We have been focusing on those efforts through our online Managers Roundtable Discussions and during our monthly meetings with our discussion topics. These are specifically designed for members to learn from other members, take away some of their success stories and incorporate them into their own station operations. This collaborative effort is the driving force behind JAG and one of the main reasons why this organization was founded.
Are You Scheduled For A Change?
In our last Manager’s Roundtable discussion, we explored programming your station. How to incorporate regularly scheduled programs, one-offs, meetings, outside content and more. I will recap some of the discussion here. I urge you to visit the Members Only section of the JAG Website (https://jagonline.org/recorded-webinars/) where you can go back and re-watch these sessions or see them for the first time. A great member benefit!
Meeting coverage seems to be at the heart of stations that participated in the conversation. One of the things that most of them noticed was the change in the way we covered these during the pandemic and how we are covering them now. You have heard me say this numerous time… these last couple of years have been “The Year of Live”. What exactly do I mean by that? Simply stated, we found ways to go live with our meeting coverage. Perhaps it was live coverage of a meeting in a council chamber with members spread out over six feet apart with no public in attendance. Others went live with Zoom meeting directly to air. Some even shared how they incorporated a hybrid method. However it was done, it was done live. So herein lies our first challenge, scheduling live meetings. I know from my experience, we recorded meetings in the past and then aired them at a later day and time. All that had to change, interrupting our tried-and-true schedule for over 15 years!
Scheduling live programs (meetings, sports, or events) comes with its own challenges. Everything from getting a signal back to the station broadcast server, equipment involved, and the time dedicated to kicking off a live program, keeping an eye on it during and then helping program off-air. I am not going to address the technical operation of covering a live event in this article, as this was not part of our programming discussion. We can save that for a future event. I would like to focus on scheduling a live event, time constraints and pre-empting programs. When scheduling a live program, how much time do you allot? What if it goes over and interferes with other shows already scheduled? Do I not schedule anything beyond the live event? These are the challenges of live programming, but there are solutions. First, you can use history as a guide for setting up a live programming time block. This will allow you to estimate the programming time that needs to be allotted to cover this event. Sounds easy enough, but this is live TV. What do you do when you have programs scheduled beyond the time slot you scheduled for your live program, but there appears to be no end in sight? Good thing our broadcast server partners have already thought of this as well. There are features on most servers that allow you to lock in your live event and let it pre-empt regularly scheduled programs. There are ways to do squeeze backs with messages letting views know that the next scheduled program will be delayed. There are solutions for live programming and work arounds during programming interruptions.
It’s not all about live programs. The key to creating a “must tune in” schedule is to offer your audience programs they are interested in watching, providing them new content on a regular basis and as much original content as possible. I am going to work backwards on this. Obviously, creating original content is key. As many of your township’s events and original programming you can air the better. The key is to now find a time slot in your schedule in which people can tune in and know that they are going to watch a local program. If you can create a series from a local show (i.e.: Mayor’s Talk Show, Health Department Show, etc.) , then there is another regular time slot for shows. But there is a limit to how much you can do. This is where your JAG membership pays off. There are so many stations and independent producers who are part of JAG that have shared their programs on the JAG Connect Server. I urge you to go through the content, locate a series and make it part of your schedule…just like that you have filled in another time slot. Take advantage of exercise shows, cooking shows, children’s programming and so much more. You will find that these shows can fill in slots in your schedule in which you were just airing bulletin boards. By creating a regular programming schedule, you invite your audience to come back time and time again.
Not Your Dad’s Bulletin Boards
During our last General Membership Meeting we discussed stepping up your bulletin boards. This discussion was not recorded, as we never did that in the past, but it does bring about the thought of doing this in the future. Let me know if this is something you would like to see happen. But I digress. I am sure many of you remember the early days of bulletin boards. Perhaps you were using a character generator, early version of Scala or even creating graphics with clip art and text inside of PowerPoint (dramatic pause) … wait, some of you are still doing this? Now is as good a time as any to re-examine your bulletin board operation. I am going to go through a few things to keep in mind and some resources as well.
There are a lot of template designs available out there, take advantage of them. Most can be adjusted to allow for color changes, logo insertion and more. Try locating these templates and utilize them for a different look and feel. Most bulletin board vendors have these available with their system. Font selection and sizing is another important thing to keep in mind. You need to realize that these graphics you create are being seen on various sized screens, from cell phones to large flat screen televisions. Too much text and too small of a font will make it difficult for viewers to read your message. You need to also keep in mind font color choices. Since a lot of our stations still broadcast in SD from an analog feed, certain colors like red and bright white can cause bleeding or unwanted “noise” during your broadcast. Some of this may be trial and error.
There is nothing worse than a bulletin board system without audio. Nothing will make someone change the channel faster than when there is no audio. There are several ways to add music to your bulletin board system, from royalty free music sources, cable company music feeds or music streams. Find a source that works for you, that you feel comfortable about using, and that residents in your service area will find appealing. Look to your bulletin board vendor for the best ways to introduce music to your system for playout during bulletin board playout.
Why not work on creating zones in your bulletin board playout. This type of layout is now common and the preferred way to design your bulletin boards. Think of the different types of sources you can now put in those zones. Larger zones are ideal for your announcements. Perhaps you add some side-bar weather graphic next. Why not create a lower zone area in which you can have your logo, and a time and date stamp along with a news feed. If you search RSS feeds in your area, you may find some good sources to use. Why not speak to your local newspaper or online news source for their RSS feed was well? With a little research, a phone call, or an email, you may find sources to use as a news ticker feed.
Finally, I will leave you with a few other things we discussed. Think of adding full screen weather graphics with motion. How about some PSAs? There are so many, along with specific campaigns available through the Ad-Council. Create an account for your station and start downloading lots of free PSA videos to run. Add in your own station promos as well. All these items help to break up the bulletin board and enhance its look and feel. You can approach this with a complete overhaul of your bulletin board or slowly add in different updates. The choice is yours. For those who really want to take their bulletin boards to the next level, think of exploring paid services that can give you extra content for your bulletin boards. Items like trivia, top 10 lists, stock updates, additional news feeds and much more. Making changes to your bulletin boards or creating a consistent programming schedule are just a couple of the things you can do to enhance your station. If you start to incorporate these changes, and promote them across other media sources and social media, you will attract new viewers and help to keep the ones you have engaged and coming back. I urge you to visit the Members Only section of the JAG Website (https://jagonline.org/recorded-webinars/ ) where you can view any of the Managers Round Table discussions we have held that are designed to help you better operate your station.
Posted: April 12, 2022 by bduthaler
The 2022 Eastern Video Expo
by Geoffrey Belafonte, Conference Committee, Co-chair
OUR TRADE SHOW IS BACK!! YES, LIVE, IN-PERSON, TURN ON THAT LIGHT, HOLD THAT CAMERA, AND SPEAK TO PEOPLE FACE TO FACE. Also back by popular demand is our virtual conference. The workshops will be May 24 & 26 and the trade show will be on May 25 with a banquet that evening at the Crowne Plaza in Edison.
This event never happens without our fantastic sponsors. This year, our Diamond level sponsor is TelVue. Our cocktail party sponsor is Municipal Captioning. Our trade show breakfast sponsor is Cablecast. We also want to give a huge shout out to recognize Varto Technologies, Rushworks, and Planet Networks for their support.
The trade show will feature exhibits from JAG’s Organizational Members including TelVue, Cablecast, Municipal Captioning, Rushworks, and Varto Technologies. Keep checking the website for more joining. This will be the first time you will actually be able to see in person new products from our Organizational Members who are servicing the PEG industry. In addition to the exhibits, there will be dynamic in-depth presentations from select vendors. This should be a great opportunity for station managers and program directors to network and review content that they may not be familiar with.
Once again, our workshops will be informative and entertaining with speakers from many parts of the country. They will take place on May 24 & 26, and will be accessible from EasternVideoExpo.com. The categories range from production techniques to legislative matters all featuring experts in their field. While some of the workshops are still in formation, we are happy to reveal the topics that we expect to cover this year.
Some of the most popular workshops in the past have focused on production techniques and this year is no exception. We are pleased to announce that Mike Kostel, the executive director of the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) will be joining us to discuss techniques to produce award winning programs. Michael is the winner of five Emmys himself, so he is able to offer some valuable insights into just what makes an entertaining and informative television show.
Covering Washington and the proceedings at the FCC, we will also offer the ever popular “Ask the Lawyers” roundtable to give us insight into everything from trends in franchise renewals to closed captioning requirements. Since the “Ask the Lawyers” workshop has been so successful, we have decided to add an “Ask the Engineers” segment that will cover developments in television technology that affect the way we produce television shows now and in the future. Naturally there will be ample time to ask questions about your particular technical problems.
We are also planning another workshop on social media featuring Cyd Katz (CEO of NewJerseyIsntBoring.com) who spoke at last year’s conference. This time Cyd and her fellow panelists will be discussing ways to use platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. There will also be a workshop on producing Hybrid meetings that will cover ways to seamlessly integrate Zoom feeds with a live meeting. Finally, there will also be workshops on all levels of production from lighting to editing.
After the trade show, there will be a cocktail party, sponsored by Municipal Captioning, followed by a banquet where we will present the JAG award winners of the Award of Excellence in each category. It’s sure to be a fun filled evening.
Your Conference committee has worked hard to make the Eastern Video Expo this year affordable. The full conference is ONLY $35 for members. That includes all the workshops, admission to the trade show and a box lunch, the cocktail party, and the banquet.
Other packages include:
The trade show and a box lunch – $15.00
The trade show and no box lunch – $0.00 (no restaurants near the hotel)
Banquet only – $35 for the rest of the conference.
Once again, we invite our Independent Producers to attend for free.
If you are planning on staying at the Crowne Plaza, make sure to book your room by May 1, 2022 to reserve your discounted price. Look for more information on the Eastern Video Expo website (easternvideoexpo.com ) and watch your email for more information on the panelists and topics for our workshops.
Posted: April 11, 2022 by bduthaler
Spotlight: Hopewell – Growing a Station Takes Time
by Joy Arena, Hopewell Township
Hello fellow JAG members, my name is Joy Arena and I am a mother of three young men: Christopher, Matthew and Daniel, all in their 30’s now. I had to raise them pretty much on my own since I became a widow when they were very young. I just became a grandmother on October 2nd–a baby girl named Shalyi Eva Arena, Irish name picked by her Mother who is Irish. I grew up with five brothers, finally a girl in the family!
I am a member of Bordentown Yacht Club, and also a delegate to the Delaware River Yachtsmen’s League. My boat is a 2001 Sea Ray 260 SunDancer that I moor at Bordentown Yacht Club. Besides boating, I enjoy hiking in the mountains (not a beach person, prefer the mountains and water activities over laying on the beach), kayaking, Geocaching, snorkeling and discovering new sights to see and explore. My next trip is out to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where I plan to do some hiking, Geocaching, and ATV riding. I also plan to visit some of the breweries and thermal hot springs that the area has to offer.
I’m telling you all this because I am a much better mother, grandmother, and outdoors woman then I am a station manager. You see, I really work as an administrator for the Public Works department. I volunteered to take over the station several years ago because it paid a few extra dollars which came in handy at the time. I got some very rudimentary training from the employee who left the position. Back then all he did was maintain a primitive community bulletin board.
Today the PEG channel here at The Township of Hopewell is carried on Comcast channel 95 and Verizon channel 30. I only work on the channel part time– about 110 hours a year. For the PEG channel I still produce the Community bulletin board, but now I use PowerPoint and upload PNG files to a TelVue Infoview system. I also record and broadcast live the Township Committee Meetings. In addition to the live telecast, we televise a recording of the meetings on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 5:30PM. On occasion I also record and broadcast Planning/Zoning Board meetings when there is a hot topic of interest to many residents. Once in a blue moon, when there is a topic of interest to a large number of residents, I will go in the field to record a meeting in a room that will accommodate a large crowd. In that case I record the meeting for broadcast at a later date. We can’t yet stream an event from a remote location. I have also recorded the Christmas tree lighting in town for playback on the channel.
Since I am not a trained TV technician, many of the technical matters that are discussed at JAG meetings are over my head. Unfortunately, I do not know much about how the different equipment we own really works. I am just the end user. I am glad that I have JAG members to answer my technical questions when they arise. I just know how to control the cameras and audio during a meeting and produce the bulletin board, and for our township, that’s enough.
We upgraded the system I use to televise the Council meetings back in 2020 with help from JAG’s own Bob Duthaler. We added four Sony PTZ cameras and a small switcher. As you can imagine, this addition really improved the quality of our telecasts.
During COVID, I did not record any meetings. The Town Committee meetings were held via Zoom and the Municipal Clerk would record them and upload a file to our server. I would then grab that file and transfer it to my TelVue HyperCaster via FileZilla. It was important to our town officials that the residents still be able to see their government at work despite the pandemic. With Covid seemingly on the wane, the town is planning to hold their meetings in person again with people still participating via Zoom. Myself and several other township employees have been working on ways to televise these meeting live. So far, we have been able to get a system to work with the help of a Yamaha audio interface. We have not yet had to televise a live Hybrid meeting, that is coming May 2. We will see how that goes. Wish us luck!
Posted: March 17, 2022 by bduthaler
NJ Advocates for Aging Well
Susan Brooks, Communications Manager, NJAAW
“People tend to think that aging is something that happens later in life. In reality, we’re aging every day,” says Cathy Rowe, DrPH, Executive Director of JAG associate member NJ Advocates for Aging Well (NJAAW).
“Right now, more than 23% of New Jersey’s total population is over 60,” she adds. “The U.S. Census Bureau projects that by 2030, America will have more 65-and-older residents than children, and all Baby Boomers – and one-fifth of the total population – will have reached the traditional retirement age of 65.”
NJ Advocates for Aging Well – formerly NJ Foundation for Aging – is marking its 24th year as the only statewide nonprofit focused solely on providing leadership in public policy and education to enable older adults to live with independence and dignity in their communities.
The Trenton-based organization promotes and advances public policy that impacts the lives of older adults and presents educational forums for the public – such as its recent four-part/15-speakers housing series for older adults – as well as for aging services professionals. NJAAW also holds networking events and hosts an Annual Conference (June 13) offering development opportunities and best practices for professionals entrusted with caring for aging adults. Its website at njaaw.org provides a wealth of information, services and resources for older adults, their families and caregivers, and aging services professionals.
Additionally, in partnership with the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI) NJAAW will be co-leading a multi-year policy advocacy effort focused on strengthening the state’s direct care workforce.
Aging Insights
JAG members would know NJAAW best for its monthly half-hour talk show, Aging Insights. Produced in partnership with Piscataway Community TV (PCTV), the show is made possible by the generous support of the Wallerstein Foundation for Geriatric Life Improvement, other funders and viewers.
“Aging Insights, provides information on a wide range of issues facing older adults and their families,” says Dr. Rowe.
Dr. Rowe, of Maplewood, has hosted the program since she joined NJAAW in the middle of 2021, and is following in the footsteps of her predecessors, Melissa Chalker and Grace Egan. NJAAW’s Communications Manager, Sue Brooks of Ewing, is the Executive Producer. Bringing the show to life are PCTV’s Station Manager George Fairfield (Director), Program Supervisor Doug Seidel (Audio/Edit) Program Supervisor Stephanie Gibbons (Camera) and volunteers Valerie Stephens (Camera) and Elio Selvaggio (Teleprompter).
“We thoroughly enjoy working with our PCTV colleagues and would like to recognize their patience, flexibility, creativity and professionalism,” Dr. Rowe says. PCTV is also assisting NJAAW with the launch a podcast featuring Aging Insight programming and the nonprofit’s many webinars.
“On Aging Insights, we have lively and thought-provoking discussions with guests and experts from New Jersey and across the nation, representing a vast variety of fields and organizations,” says Dr. Rowe. Noting that the show has spotlighted “everything from personal finances for older adults to the pandemic,” Dr. Rowe has covered such topics as:
Upcoming programs will focus on advanced care planning and driving safety for older adults. “We are very mindful of what our audience wants and needs to know, and will continue to educate and enrich their lives,” Dr. Rowe says.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to JAG stations for bringing Aging Insights directly to New Jerseyans who will benefit from our programming, and we appreciate being an associate member,” says Sue Brooks. “Thank you for your support for NJAAW and New Jersey’s growing aging population!”Previous episodes of Aging Insights can be viewed on NJAAW’s website at njaaw.org/aging-insights and its YouTube channel at youtube.com/njadvocatesforagingwell. The YouTube channel also contains NJAAW’s webinar recordings. For more information, contact Sue Brooks at 609-421-0206 or email sbrooks@njaaw.org.
Posted: March 17, 2022 by bduthaler
Accomplishment of the External Relations Committee
Geoffery Belinfante, Chair
One of the things that keeps my hard-working colleagues on the committee very busy is the coordination of this very newsletter. We hope to publish articles that are of interest to our municipal and community channels as well as our independent producers and nonprofit members. Making the newsletter a valuable source of information is a very high priority for the External Relations Committee. This past year, thanks to our managing director Rich Desimone and committee member Doug Seidel, we redesigned the look of the newsletter and changed the way it is distributed. We currently enjoy a particularly high open rate which hopefully means we are creating something of real value to our members. Recently, we sent a survey to all those who receive the newsletter asking for their input so we can make it better. Please fill out the survey and let us know your thoughts! We are continually looking for ways to make it more valuable and informative. The survey is one way we can ensure that it is something you can look forward to receiving each month.
The External Relations Committee is also responsible for JAG’s internet and social media presence. This includes our Facebook page, our website, and our YouTube Channel which we manage jointly with the Production committee. The objective of all our social media activity is to raise our public profile and present JAG as an organization that can help townships across New Jersey communicate with their citizens. Weekly Facebook posts, again created by Doug Seidel, help keep JAG’s name visible to the outside world. Facebook is just one component of the overall marketing plan for the organization that is developed by the Leadership Committee and executed, in part, by our committee. A large portion of those marketing efforts center around our website. This is often the first place people go for information about JAG, so the committee has spent a lot of time this past year updating the graphic look of the site and making it more user friendly. We have also made a concerted effort to enhance the value of the “members only” section by adding important documents to our library and videos of JAG sponsored presentations to our gallery.
Our committee is also responsible for our relationships with the Organizational Members. We try to cultivate associations with companies that make relevant products and who are sympathetic to the budgetary challenges faced by our members. These are the companies that present to us at our monthly general meeting. Organizational members come and go, so we are constantly looking for new suppliers with products who support PEG and community television, and who might become Organizational Members. In the last year, we added Municipal Captioning to our list of organizational supporters.
One of the most important functions of the External Relations Committee is to supervise JAG’s participation at the annual New Jersey League of Municipalities Convention. We ensure that the organization contracts for a booth on the floor of the convention, and we organize the workshops we present at the Conference. This is the best opportunity we have all year to interact with the mayors, council people and information officers who are responsible for communicating with their citizens. We help man the booth and arrange for the handouts about JAG. Perhaps because of the Pandemic, we had a particularly fruitful convention, meeting lots of new municipal representatives who showed real interest in taking advantage of the benefits we provide. We are currently in the process of redesigning our booth to give it a new look and to ensure that JAG’s mission is clear to those who pass by.
It may seem as if we have a lot of “balls in the air,” and indeed we do, but not every member is involved in every initiative. I have often written in this newsletter about our need for members, however, at one of our recent meetings we developed a way for people to help out with some of the tasks of our committee without committing the time necessary to be a full member. We have formed two subcommittees that will allow you to focus your attention on those functions that most interest you. For example, if you’re really into social media or web design, why not join our Social Media Subcommittee? If you enjoy writing, why not work on our newsletter by joining our Newsletter subcommittee. These will allow you to work only in those areas that are of particular interest to you. Your input would be welcome in any form.
If you have any questions about the External Relations Committee, please let me know. You can email me at geoffbel512@gmail.com
Posted: March 17, 2022 by bduthaler
New “All In One” OMNI Solutions with Closed Captions!
by Randy Visser, East Sales, Cablecast Community Media
Video play-out systems provide community media operations the tools they need to distribute their content to members of their communities, and beyond. Early systems involved the use of multiple video tape machines, and eventually DVD players that were programmed by external devices to play, and then switch, programming from one source to another. You never knew if this complex chain of events was going to work as planned, and the set-up time to cue tapes and calculate “pre-roll” times for every event made the process challenging and time consuming.
Fast forward to the 21st Century…and here we are, comfortably pecking away at our keypads and smartphones sharing video content like it was just another call to a friend. YouTube, the first successful video sharing platform and Facebook, have suddenly become the video viewing platforms of choice, and our local PEG channels are having to re-invent the way we support our communities through video distribution. After all, YouTube and Facebook are indeed commercial platforms. They make money by selling user data and “phishing” for customers engaged in niche content viewing. Not ideal.
Cablecast has the solution. Our company has been right beside you all the way providing the tools you need to manage this work in the 21st Century. Our new “VIO Omni” servers have the combined power to schedule video files, or live shows, while providing an easy interface to make that content available as a live stream, or as easy to use VOD (video on demand) files complete with the ability to chapter those videos (either while you’re recording…or after the fact). You can even attach .pdf files like meeting agendas that viewers can download. One box does this all using Cablecast’s easy to use interface and award winning bulletin board software (also available for small, or large, digital signage throughout your community).
Now….purchase our CDN (content delivery network) called “Reflect”, a fixed service that handles all of your content distribution in the cloud for just $2200 a year. Done…you’ve just created your own “YouTube” platform where citizens can find and watch your shows easily from a built-in web portal providing live feeds, searchable indexes for VOD content, an active schedule feed and links to all of your other web content. What more could you do?
That’s right…this is video technology in the 21st Century. Time waits for no one and suddenly we’re facing a whole new set of video distribution platforms called “Over The Top” (OTT). Companies like Apple, Roku, Amazon, Google and others are betting that the television viewing market will in fact be moving away from expensive cable packages to a more open broadband network solution that gives viewers the options to watch content on their preferred platform on any video viewing device available; HD televisions, lap-top computers, hand-held smart phones…who knows what’s next.
Again, Cablecast is ready to roll with new technical features and services that allow you to share all of your content throughout these varied platforms (web video or OTT).
We know that not everyone is ready to jump into the deep end and change the way you’ve been doing things in the past. Not a problem. We’ll let you try our OTT distribution FOR FREE using our “Cablecast Screenweave” application. Give it a try yourself on all of the popular OTT platforms. Search for “Cablecast”. Download the application and watch hundreds of stations from around the country as they provide both live streams as well as VOD content. All of this happens, literally, with one click of a button! Talk about easy workflow….and at no additional cost!
And finally, Cablecast has added to this powerful video tool kit with the ability to provide Closed Captioning of any content, live or existing files, again with just one push of a button. Purchase a bundle of hours and you decide what gets transcribed. Super easy to use and affordable with rates between .11 and .15 cents an hour. You’ll have a link to your own Cablecast Cloud Services web interface where you can track your usage.
Presentation at JAG General Members meeting, March 30 at 12:12pm
Posted: March 17, 2022 by bduthaler
Social Media Stats – March 2022
by Doug Seidel, Social Media Manager, External Relations Committee
The Newsletter Survey results are in! Keep your eyes open for changes coming soon. We are very excited about these changes and look forward to using the new and improved newsletter to help market JAG better.
A new Social Media Subcommittee has been formed and we have started to plan our new social media posts. Make sure you are following our accounts so you can keep up in the online conversations. If you are interested in helping out with our social media, reach out to join this new Subcommittee.
Our YouTube channel is also easier to share now. www.jagonline.org/YouTube will send anyone directly to our YouTube channel. Just another bonus to help us market JAG easier.
Jersey Access Group
facebook.com/pegtv linkedin.com/company/jersey-access-group instagram.com/jersey_access_group
EASTERN VIDEO EXPO
facebook.com/Easternvideoexpo instagram.com/easternvideox/
Do not forget to check out our YouTube channel. Have something you want on our YouTube channel? Send a link to dseidel@piscatawaynj.org for review.
New Content on YouTube:
The “Where,” “What,” and “Who “ of Healthy Aging – C-NET
Dustin’s Kaleidoscope: NJ 2021 Librarian of the Year – SOMA Television
Barron Arts Center: Viewing Sculpture – Woodbridge TV
Catchings Owens Community Center Ribbon Cutting – Montclair TV 34
Danny V’s 52nd Street Band – Manalapan Township Television Network
NEW CONTENT ON WEBSITE- We have now posted 24 programs from the Eastern Video Expo events to the members only section of our website. To view the video content links below, you need a members only password.
Email lbesink@gmail.com for the password.
Broadband Deployment in the National Infrastructure Bill. A JAG Joint Session with the NJ League.
And
Post Pandemic Tools That Can Help You Reach Your Citizens
Share the value of Jag’s newsletter with your elected officials, cable committee, station volunteers, associates, and friends. Send this invitation: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/B7EMU1R/JAGnewsletter
Posted: February 15, 2022 by bduthaler
Social Media Stats – February 2022
by Doug Seidel, Social Media Manager, External Relations Committee
Let me officially announce the start of the Social Media subcommittee. This is great news as I take a larger role in JAG, now I will have assistance in running our social media accounts. This will only make our social media campaign stronger and extend our reach. This will also give us a chance to post more information on our accounts and maybe add more places where you can find information about JAG and the Eastern Video Expo.
If you have an interest in joining the Social Media subcommittee but do not believe you have the time for the commitment, just know that a) you don’t have to join a formal committee to be a part of the subcommittee and b) subcommittees are very informal and won’t require a lot of time. You can contact me at dseidel@piscatawaynj.org if you are interested in joining the subcommittee.
Jersey Access Group
facebook.com/pegtv linkedin.com/company/jersey-access-group instagram.com/jersey_access_group
EASTERN VIDEO EXPO
facebook.com/Easternvideoexpo instagram.com/easternvideox/
Do not forget to check out our YouTube channel. Have something you want on our YouTube channel? Send a link to dseidel@piscatawaynj.org for review.
New Content on YouTube: Broadband Panel at NJLOM – JAG Holiday Extravaganza – Woodbridge
Over the Top Panel at NJLOM – JAG
NEW CONTENT ON WEBSITE- We have now posted 24 programs from the Eastern Video Expo events to the members only section of our website. To view the video content links below, you need a members only password.
Emaillbesink@gmail.com for the password.
JAG has recorded our two sessions at the NJ League of Municipalities and added them to the Members Only session of our website.
Broadband Deployment in the National Infrastructure Bill. A JAG Joint Session with the NJ League.
And
Post Pandemic Tools That Can Help You Reach Your Citizens
Share the value of Jag’s newsletter with your elected officials, cable committee, station volunteers, associates, and friends. Send this invitation: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/B7EMU1R/JAGnewsletter