by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
Closed Captioning and Web Accessibility Requirements for Local Governments
Where it Currently Stands for PEG
The Americans with Disability Act has compliance obligations for local government accessibility for websites, video streaming, and even cable broadcasting.
While the FCC has long excluded community television from captioning requirements, the Department of Justice, state governments, and private citizens have renewed a push to require captioning for all types of video content, and particularly those found on the internet.
Last month, JAG held a special webinar that explored where the requirements currently stand for access television, along with thoughts on where it might be heading, when the DOJ might make a decision, and what should be done now to prepare for the immediate future.
Our guest speaker for this informative event was Brandon M. Dittman, a founder and partner of Wilson Williams Fellman and Dittman*, an expert on the ADA and Rehabilitation Act Captioning Requirements and FCC Regulations for Closed Captioning, as well as the DOJ and their rule-makings.
Brandon relayed the following facts to the participants:
• Since 1998 the FCC has stated under its regulations that local government content is categorically exempted from captioning on television. Other government agencies such as the DOJ who are responsible for enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act, will say otherwise. And even the FCC takes the position that video programming may be subject to captioning requirements even if they don’t require it.
• The American with Disabilities Act – Title 2 regulates public entities and regulates governments. If you’re a government entity of any kind, you fall under Title 2
• DOJ Requires Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/docs/ or https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/quickref/?versions=2.1 for all web content, and captioning for video content, whether live or prerecorded is required.
• Different parts of the Rehabilitation Act which needs to also be considered include:
- Section 504 states that “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States … shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance or under any program or activity conducted by any Executive agency”.
• Section 508 – “Electronic information and information technology must be accessible for
people with disabilities”.
(You could potentially become subject to this if you receive federal funding. Such funding could come with a requirement that you comply with the Rehabilitation Act.)
One of the most eye-opening moments of the webinar was when Brandon stated that “Any person can bring what’s called a citizen suit where they can act as their own private attorney general. Especially on the website side. A private citizen can ask for an injunction and can demand that you change your practice or stop doing the discriminatory practice.” They can recover all their attorney’s fees, and in most cases, they can get monetary damages of some kind.
So what should a PEG Channel do to prepare when the DOJ comes down with more changes about Closed Captioning?
Brandon offers the following suggestions:
• Basically you should just start budgeting for it now. And I would start with the things that are used most by the public, whatever those may be. So your websites, your public meetings, those sorts of things.
• Most of you have Video-On-Demand Channels, so whatever goes on there should have the ability to be captioned somehow. If for whatever reason you have an exception or whatever else you still may be under, you actually are still under the ADA’s broader requirement for effective communication. And just so you know, that’s always kind of lurking in the background. There still is the effective communication piece to this.
• Look towards the future to ensure that your servers have the ability to create automatic closed captioning. It’s a lot harder to prove the case that captioning is not good enough versus you didn’t have anything. It is going to deter all but the most determined from filing a lawsuit against you because again, it’s a lot easier to prove that you have nothing.
JAG works exclusively with vendors that can help you prepare for the possible future of adding closed captioning into your programs.
There have been no final rulings at this time by the DOJ. But what is being considered when the effective date is decided, is to implement a delayed implementation based on population size. For example, if you’re a government below 50,000 people, you may get three years to comply, with larger municipalities having perhaps two years.
Don’t panic about it just yet, but start to budget! We cannot ignore it forever! This seems like something we might have to face whether we want to or not.
If you would like to view this special webinar in its entirety with our guest Brandon M. Dittman. please go to:
JAG: ADA and Closed Captioning Webinar 12-21-23
Still in Play: HR 3557
The American Broadband Deployment Act
Reminder everyone: This bill imposes new restrictions on local authorities regarding their ability to regulate a variety of state and local land use and zoning issues that pertain to the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure, including wireless and wireline deployment, as well as new limits on requirements and renewals of cable franchise agreements.
Please watch our informative video on HR 3557 and hear what might happen if it is passed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzP_t_SPzGk . And please pass this link around to all of those who can stop this harmful bill. JAG constantly advocates, analyzes and addresses emerging issues in areas such as: Local Government Communications and Internet Policy, New Technology Initiatives and Advancements, Cable Franchising and, the Operation of Public, Education and Government Media Facilities.
News & Events
Posted: February 14, 2024 by Doug Seidel
JAG’s Annual Conference Taking Shape
by Geoffrey Belinfante, Conference Committee, Vice Chair
Even though our conference is still about 4 months away, your conference committee has already been busy planning another informative and entertaining event for all JAG members. This year’s conference is scheduled for May 16th and once again it will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Edison, so mark your calendars now! The conference will be followed that evening by a gala celebration where we will present the JAG Awards for excellence in production for 2023.
As usual, this year’s conference will feature workshops and user group meetings that will bring you up to date on the latest from manufacturers and tips that help you create more interesting and better-looking programming. While this year’s panels are still in formation, there will be topics for programmers, production personnel and those with technical responsibilities for their facilities. Topics will include: Why PEG managers should care about Broadband deployment; Interviewing techniques from industry professionals; programming tips that might lead you to new sources of stories in your town; and new equipment that will make producing in the field easier. As usual there will be a legislative update from our Washington partners, and a report on trends from around the nation when negotiating enhancements to your next franchise agreement. Of course, there will be user groups for those who own equipment from particular manufacturers.
It is hoped that our keynote luncheon will feature speakers from the cable companies’ broadband suppliers and representatives from NATOA and/or the ACM to discuss broadband deployment and the future of cable companies, and why you as PEG operators should care.
As in the past, there will be an opportunity to meet with and see new offerings from manufacturers and our JAG Organizational members. This is a great time to familiarize yourself with new offerings that will improve your productions and make communicating with your citizens that much easier.
Since this is the age of Artificial Intelligence, we thought we would ask Microsoft’s Co- Pilot why it thinks you should attend. Here’s what it said:
Remember, participating in the annual conference and banquet contributes to the collective growth and vibrancy of the JAG community. So, go ahead and register now to make the most of this enriching experience! Visit the conference website at www.jagconference.com See You There on May 16, 2024!!
But you don’t need Artificial Intelligence to make up your mind about the JAG Conference–regular intelligence will do just fine. Registration is now open. For more information, check out the conference tab on our website, jagonline.org/conference or log on to www.jagconference.com . Be sure to check back often to follow additions to the schedule. New events and workshops are being added all the time.
Thanks to our sponsors, TelVue, Planet Networks, Cologna Productions and Varto Technologies for making this all possible.
Call for Vendors Booth size and event sponsors: Link to Register: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/889386h
Posted: February 14, 2024 by Doug Seidel
Legislative Update February 2024: News from Washington DC- The Congressional Budget Office
by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
As we have talked about in the last few newsletters, the American Broadband Deployment Act of 2023 (HR 3557), is still in play in Congress. If enacted, it would impose new restrictions on local authorities regarding their ability to regulate a variety of state and local land use and zoning issues that pertain to the deployment of the telecommunications infrastructure. This would include wireless and wireline deployment, and new limits on the requirements and renewals of cable franchise agreements.
In order to fully understand the ramifications if it were to pass, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Public and Private Mandates Unit asked for an Inquiry about it. Last month, the National League of Cities, the United States Conference of Mayors, the National Association of Counties, and the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, met with the CBO about the American Broadband Deployment Act of 2023. They were able to relate the concerns of local government regarding the cost impact and loss of revenue to local and state governments that would be caused by this bill.
From NATOA:
The CBO asked about the impact on cable franchise fees. Gerry Lederer, a partner at Best, Best & Krieger, LLP, was able to point them to the cable industry’s FCC filing back in 2018 that operators pay ~$3.4 billion, annually, in franchise fees.
Also discussed was the loss of wireless siting revenue and the burdens & expenses of increased permitting costs, inspections and requirements.
It remains to be seen how much CBO will rely on our ‘loss of (street rent) revenue,’ so we’re now pivoting to a focus on examples of increases costs/expense/burdens such as:
• Costs of a study to amend ordinances, code, permitting processes and/or fees.
• (In discussions, we mentioned a conservative estimate of $18-20K per unit of government. The # of local government units – counties, municipalities (cities and town), and special districts run from 28,000 – 32,000. (Last year, Treasury’s SLFRF funding reported 2,966 counties, 1,088 metropolitan cities (>50,000 pop.) and 22,356 non-entitlement units (<50,000 pop.).
• Back of the envelope, that’s an unfunded mandate of $504M – $640M.
• As Nancy Werner, partner at Bradley Werner, LLC, suggested, think in terms of Small Cell rules – studies, staff, consultants, staffing costs for wireless permitting reviews, inspections, etc., as well as any in-kind contributions that would be threatened.
For more information on this harmful bill, please watch JAG’s very informative video about HR3557 and hear what might happen if it is passed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzP_t_SPzGk . Please share this link with all those who have the influence and power to stop it.
While HR3557 is floating around Congress, we must not forget that the Protecting Community Television Act (HR 907/S 340) is also still very much alive and is circulating the halls as well.
From the ACM (Alliance for Community Media):
The FCC’s 2019 Franchise Fee Order redefined the federal Cable Act’s 5% franchise fee cap to include the value of most non-monetary franchise obligations as franchise fees. This change allows cable companies to reduce what they pay for the use of public property and rights-of-way. The Protecting Community Television Act (HR 907/S 340) would correct this error by simply clarifying that franchise fees are only monetary.
The Cable Act of 1984, protects the rights of a local community to charge cable companies a five (5%) percent franchise fee and to meet community needs and interests, such as providing public, educational and governmental channel capacity.
Contrary to industry practices that date to the 1980s, the FCC’s actions could result in reducing cable operators’ monetary compensation to towns and municipalities that wish to communicate with residents through community television. The FCC Order could force communities to choose between franchise fees or communicating with residents through community media that provide Americans with local civic, public safety and public health content.
The Protecting Community Television Act (HR 907/S 340) clarifies that only monetary payments, not non-monetary franchise obligations, qualify as Cable Act franchise fees and are subject to a fee cap. Without it, a cable operator could create fees to drain away municipal revenues and pressure municipalities to give up or de-staff channels.
For further information on these bills, please contact David Garb, Chair. of JAG’s Legislative Committee at davegarb@paps.net. JAG (Jersey Access Group) constantly advocates, analyzes and addresses emerging issues in areas such as: Local Government Communications and Internet Policy. JAG promotes, and preserves the right to, media production, distribution, civic engagement, and education in support of diverse community voices, through Public, Educational and Government access facilities and other forms of media
Posted: February 14, 2024 by Doug Seidel
Programming Best Practices “Crafting Compelling and Engaging Local TV”
by Jesse Lerman, President/CEO, TelVue
Creating a successful broadcast schedule involves both art and science. Understanding your audience is the foundation for a winning program strategy. Knowing demographics and daily routines (kids aren’t available during school hours, working folks may only view evening broadcasts, seniors and retirees might watch during the day) allows you to tailor your content with more dayparting and encourage “habitual” viewing. Focusing on the Ls: local and live drive viewership. Leveraging technology tools to increase programming, promotion, reach, and accessibility can help grow your audience and keep viewers coming back for more.
The TelVue HyperCaster’s powerful series scheduling automates and simplifies adding a wide variety of programming. Combined with support of a vast array of live streaming sources, you can easily create a fresh, updated program schedule including live programming. The HyperCaster has always been ahead of the curve on streaming integration, supporting modern SRT (since 2017), RTMP Push & Pull, Social Media, Zoom, NDI and more, without the need for expensive restreaming services just to go live. The JAG Media Exchange is also a great resource for “like” programming to complement your local productions. The HyperCaster’s integrated Bulletin Board augments scheduled programming and connects your audience to town departments and community organizations needing to deliver important local announcements.
The HyperCaster’s new mobile user interface makes program scheduling much faster and more convenient, including on-the-go. Expanded user access control makes it more efficient to distribute and partition scheduling responsibilities, such as scheduling certain channels only, or managing live events only for volunteers.
Consistent scheduling can increase tune-in and deliver a professional viewing experience, helping to build viewer loyalty. The new HyperCaster program segmentation feature allows building in natural program breaks for spot messaging, sponsorships, and to pad programs to consistent durations. Designed originally for advertising and modern FAST channels, segmentation is useful for PEG stations as well.
Promoting your programming is essential to attract and retain viewers. HyperCaster’s graphic overlay rules with snipes, tickers, program guides, and squeezebacks automate on-air marketing messaging to maintain audience flow throughout the day. The fully searchable website guide, electronic program guide integration, and CloudCast’s program guide display alongside your live stream all drive promotion.
Social media platforms are also a crucial tool for your station to expand its reach and increase engagement. TelVue’s integrated social streaming simplifies distribution to platforms such as YouTube and Facebook, where you can also leverage analytics for demographics and more. TelVue’s native CloudCast analytics and reporting make it easier to identify who, where, what and for how long people are watching on your website, mobile & OTT apps. This enables your station to evaluate the success of your programming and identify opportunities for improvement.
Accessibility is increasingly important to ensure all viewers can connect with your cable & streaming content. Many viewers, especially young multi-taskers, prefer to watch video programming with the captions on. TelVue SmartCaption is an affordable way to automatically caption your channels and on-demand programming, while also making your government meetings fully searchable. The CloudCast video player has been designed with web accessibility in mind and is well on the way to full adherence to upcoming Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and ADA requirements. Embracing the best practices above can elevate the appeal of your station’s programming, leading to increased viewer engagement and satisfaction, and cement your station’s role as an important local broadcasting hub. TelVue’s focus has always been to provide the scheduling and broadcast tools to help you reach these objectives. At the JAG meeting this month, we look forward to showcasing the latest TelVue enhancements that can help you craft and deliver compelling and engaging local TV, wherever and however your viewers are watching.
Posted: January 22, 2024 by Doug Seidel
Spotlight: Middletown Township Builds TV Studio in New Town Hall
by Tara Berson and Raven Rentas, Township of Middletown
Home to 68,000 residents, Middletown Township is one of the largest municipalities in New Jersey. Due to the size of our community and diverse age ranges, interests, and neighborhoods, it is important for the Township to offer various ways for residents to access information. One of those communications tools has been our municipal TV channel which has changed over the years, particularly with the addition of our brand new TV studio this year. We had the opportunity to work with experts in the industry who helped guide the project from beginning to end.
How It Started
In November 2021, my colleague Tara Berson and I traveled to Atlantic City for the annual New Jersey League of Municipalities conference and attended the Jersey Access Group’s (JAG) seminar about cable television consumption post-pandemic. Feeling inspired after the session ended, we introduced ourselves to some of the presenters: JAG President Bob Duthaler and External Relations Chair Geoff Belinfante. We exchanged contact information, expressed our interest in becoming JAG members, and discussed our plans for a TV studio in Middletown’s new Town Hall that was being built.
In May 2022, we moved into our new Town Hall. With the new building came new opportunities so we used this transition to emphasize the importance of having an in-house TV studio to help promote key Township initiatives and programming, as well as provide a potential revenue stream through shared service agreements with other communities. We already had our mayor and administrator’s approval and funds secured through a Comcast grant, so we were given a space to help fulfill our aspirations of airing interesting and informative content.
Bringing the TV Studio to Life
We knew that creating a TV studio from scratch was a large task for us to take on in addition to our regular responsibilities. With that in mind, we reached out to Bob Duthaler to see if he (DNS Media) would be interested in supporting our Communications and IT Departments by joining our team as a consultant. Thankfully Bob was up for the challenge, so we hired him. Bob took the reins and introduced us to vendors, received quotes, and figured out next steps. With his help, we were able to determine the equipment specs for when this project went out to bid. By the end of 2022, we were feeling more organized and had finally become JAG members!
In February 2023, we joined our Purchasing Department at a pre-bid for our TV studio project, which was divided into two categories: lighting and control room equipment. We briefly met vendors and showed them the studio space and the office that was going to be utilized as a control room, as well as answered their questions. A month later, our Purchasing Director advised us that RDM Rigging would be handling lighting and G&G Technologies would be the equipment vendor. Both companies also offered training, which was much needed since we are not experts in TV production.
Our equipment arrived in April. Due to the studio’s small size, we needed to use an empty office near the Communications Department for the control room. Our IT and Public Works & Engineering Departments ran cables and installed electrical outlets wherever needed to ensure that our TV studio and control room could work together efficiently since they are not in the same vicinity.
In May, Rich DiMinno of RDM Rigging and his crew installed the pipe grid in the studio over the course of several days. While our lighting infrastructure was being taken care of, Marvin Charyn of G&G Technologies assigned John Micewicz to set up the control room (see photo). John trekked to Middletown from Westchester County, New York over the course of a few months to help set up our control room, work with our IT Department to connect our new TriCaster system to TelVue, and trained us on how to properly use the equipment.
In July, the lights for our TV studio arrived and Rich DiMinno and RGM Rigging were back to install them, along with the help of Paul Distefano of DeSisti Lighting. In August, they returned to Town Hall to teach us how to use the lighting console, which is situated in our TV studio but can also be used from our control room. In between that time, we ordered a small table and two comfy chairs, making our TV studio finally complete in August 2023 (see photo).
Lights, Camera, Action!
After almost 18 months full of vendors, doubts, training, and dedication, our TV studio was born! Building our TV studio wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our colleagues, the expertise and knowledge of our amazing vendors, and advice from our JAG family. We are truly appreciative of everyone’s part in making our TV studio become a reality. Now that it’s a new year, we’re excited to focus on our TV studio and begin producing content. We’ll check back in within a few months to keep you all posted on our progress!
Posted: January 22, 2024 by Doug Seidel
JAG’s Annual Conference
by Bob Duthaler, Conference Committee Chair
The JAG Conference Committee has begun meeting. We have elected the officers of the committee: Bob Duthaler, Chair, Rick Gearhart, Secretary and Linda Besink, Treasurer. The first items discussed were establishing the costs to attend, developing a schedule of events, and creating a list of potential sessions. Panelists will include representatives from NATOA, the ACM and JAG’s Organizational Members.
Registration Costs:
Full Conference:
Members: $225.00 and Non-members $350.00
Conference Only:
Members: $175.00 and Non-members $300.00
Banquet Only:
Members: $75.00 and Non-members $110.00
Link to Register: https://jagconference.com/shop/
Event Schedule
8:00am- TelVue User Group Breakfast
9:00am- Exhibit Hall open
10:00am-11:30am- Sessions
11:30am- Keynote Lunch
1:30pm- 5:30pm- Sessions
6:00pm- Banquet
Sessions (Details to follow)
3 Legislative: Laws and Rules & Regulations that will affect delivery of video content.
2 Technology: New equipment that will enhance the quality of video production.
6 Management: Examine dealing with the hurdles facing the operation of a media facility.
Call for Vendors
Booth size and event sponsors
Link to Register: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/889386h
Conference Sponsors
Diamond (Conference Partner)- TelVue Corporation
Hotel
Discount rate for attendees $119.00
Link to Crowne Plaza Room Reservation: TBA Conference details will be posted as they are finalized to: https://jagconference.com/
Posted: January 22, 2024 by Doug Seidel
Legislative Update January 2024: News from Washington DC
by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
Closed Captioning and Web Accessibility Requirements for Local Governments
Where it Currently Stands for PEG
The Americans with Disability Act has compliance obligations for local government accessibility for websites, video streaming, and even cable broadcasting.
While the FCC has long excluded community television from captioning requirements, the Department of Justice, state governments, and private citizens have renewed a push to require captioning for all types of video content, and particularly those found on the internet.
Last month, JAG held a special webinar that explored where the requirements currently stand for access television, along with thoughts on where it might be heading, when the DOJ might make a decision, and what should be done now to prepare for the immediate future.
Our guest speaker for this informative event was Brandon M. Dittman, a founder and partner of Wilson Williams Fellman and Dittman*, an expert on the ADA and Rehabilitation Act Captioning Requirements and FCC Regulations for Closed Captioning, as well as the DOJ and their rule-makings.
Brandon relayed the following facts to the participants:
• Since 1998 the FCC has stated under its regulations that local government content is categorically exempted from captioning on television. Other government agencies such as the DOJ who are responsible for enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act, will say otherwise. And even the FCC takes the position that video programming may be subject to captioning requirements even if they don’t require it.
• The American with Disabilities Act – Title 2 regulates public entities and regulates governments. If you’re a government entity of any kind, you fall under Title 2
• DOJ Requires Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/docs/ or https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/quickref/?versions=2.1 for all web content, and captioning for video content, whether live or prerecorded is required.
• Different parts of the Rehabilitation Act which needs to also be considered include:
• Section 508 – “Electronic information and information technology must be accessible for
people with disabilities”.
(You could potentially become subject to this if you receive federal funding. Such funding could come with a requirement that you comply with the Rehabilitation Act.)
One of the most eye-opening moments of the webinar was when Brandon stated that “Any person can bring what’s called a citizen suit where they can act as their own private attorney general. Especially on the website side. A private citizen can ask for an injunction and can demand that you change your practice or stop doing the discriminatory practice.” They can recover all their attorney’s fees, and in most cases, they can get monetary damages of some kind.
So what should a PEG Channel do to prepare when the DOJ comes down with more changes about Closed Captioning?
Brandon offers the following suggestions:
• Basically you should just start budgeting for it now. And I would start with the things that are used most by the public, whatever those may be. So your websites, your public meetings, those sorts of things.
• Most of you have Video-On-Demand Channels, so whatever goes on there should have the ability to be captioned somehow. If for whatever reason you have an exception or whatever else you still may be under, you actually are still under the ADA’s broader requirement for effective communication. And just so you know, that’s always kind of lurking in the background. There still is the effective communication piece to this.
• Look towards the future to ensure that your servers have the ability to create automatic closed captioning. It’s a lot harder to prove the case that captioning is not good enough versus you didn’t have anything. It is going to deter all but the most determined from filing a lawsuit against you because again, it’s a lot easier to prove that you have nothing.
JAG works exclusively with vendors that can help you prepare for the possible future of adding closed captioning into your programs.
There have been no final rulings at this time by the DOJ. But what is being considered when the effective date is decided, is to implement a delayed implementation based on population size. For example, if you’re a government below 50,000 people, you may get three years to comply, with larger municipalities having perhaps two years.
Don’t panic about it just yet, but start to budget! We cannot ignore it forever! This seems like something we might have to face whether we want to or not.
If you would like to view this special webinar in its entirety with our guest Brandon M. Dittman. please go to:
JAG: ADA and Closed Captioning Webinar 12-21-23
Still in Play: HR 3557
The American Broadband Deployment Act
Reminder everyone: This bill imposes new restrictions on local authorities regarding their ability to regulate a variety of state and local land use and zoning issues that pertain to the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure, including wireless and wireline deployment, as well as new limits on requirements and renewals of cable franchise agreements.
Please watch our informative video on HR 3557 and hear what might happen if it is passed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzP_t_SPzGk . And please pass this link around to all of those who can stop this harmful bill. JAG constantly advocates, analyzes and addresses emerging issues in areas such as: Local Government Communications and Internet Policy, New Technology Initiatives and Advancements, Cable Franchising and, the Operation of Public, Education and Government Media Facilities.
Posted: January 22, 2024 by Doug Seidel
Enhancing Public Access to Government Meetings with SRT Streaming
by Dana Healy, Vice President, Sales, Cablecast
In the dynamic sphere of local government, transparency and accessibility are paramount. Ensuring the public has real-time access to government meetings is a critical function of communication teams and video specialists. The challenges of network streaming video are magnified in this setting, where reliability and security are non-negotiable. This is where Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) streaming becomes an invaluable tool.
SRT Streaming: A Boon for Government Communications
SRT, a cutting-edge video transport protocol developed by Haivision, is revolutionizing the way government entities stream and distribute video content. It is specifically designed to operate over less-than-ideal networks like the public internet, providing high-quality video and audio streaming, essential for broadcasting government meetings.
The Technical Edge of SRT in Government Use
SRT stands out for its ability to deliver low-latency, high-quality video streams, even over congested networks. This ensures that live streams of council meetings, public hearings, and other government events are broadcasted smoothly, with minimal disruptions. The secure encryption of SRT also guarantees the confidentiality and integrity of the streamed content, a critical aspect for government communications.
Comparing Protocols: Why SRT for Government Streaming?
Unlike traditional protocols such as RTMP or HLS, SRT is designed to thrive in unstable network environments, making it ideal for government entities that often rely on public internet connections for streaming. SRT’s robustness against packet loss and its low-latency capabilities make it superior for live streaming important meetings, ensuring real-time public access and interaction.
Practical Applications in Local Government
Many local governments have already adopted SRT for streaming council meetings and other events. This adoption has enabled uninterrupted, high-quality broadcasts to the public, ensuring transparency and fostering civic engagement. These successful implementations serve as a model for other government entities looking to improve their streaming capabilities.
SRT and Video Servers: A Synergistic Relationship
For government communications teams, integrating SRT with their existing video servers enhances their ability to manage and distribute live and on-demand content efficiently. Video servers supporting SRT enable seamless delivery of meeting streams, both live and archived, to the public.
Accessibility for All: SRT in Low-Budget Government Setups
SRT’s compatibility with various broadcasting software like OBS Studio, vMix, and Wirecast makes it accessible even for government entities with limited budgets. This ensures that all levels of government can provide high-quality streaming of their meetings, promoting inclusivity and accessibility.
Looking Ahead: SRT in Government Video Streaming
As we advance, SRT’s role in government video streaming is poised to grow. Its adaptability to emerging technologies and evolving network conditions will continue to make it a staple in government communications strategies.
For local government communications teams and video specialists, SRT Streaming is not just a technology choice; it’s a commitment to transparency and public engagement. By leveraging SRT, governments can ensure that their meetings are accessible, secure, and of high quality, regardless of the challenges posed by network streaming video. This commitment to accessible government is central to a thriving, engaged community.
For the many community media and city cable operations using Cablecast version 7.5, native support for live SRT stream playback and recording makes it easy (and affordable) for stations to send live meetings, events, and other programming back to master control using the public internet. Cablecast VIO servers also support several network streaming protocols – including RTMP, HLS and NDI, among others – but SRT is a great option for cost-effective, reliable IP transport. Just pair your Cablecast VIO with an encoder on location and you can playout SRT streams, with no additional hardware needed. Want to learn more about how SRT streaming can improve your channel playback workflow? Get started with Cablecast.
Posted: December 15, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Spotlight: Edison – Rising Above the Crowd in Edison
By Michael D’Amato, Station Manager, Edison TV
It seems these days we need to set our cameras higher and higher just to achieve a clear shot over a sea of raised cell phones – camera operators cannot be afraid of heights! More on that later.
Edison TV, one of the founding stations in the Jersey Access Group, has had a clear mission since I became the station manager in 2006 – to present the officials, organizations and residents of the Township of Edison in the best possible light, both figuratively and literally.
Did the mayor stumble on a word? Fix it! The singer cracked on the national anthem? Edit it out!!
At Edison TV, we face the same challenges as other access stations – keeping up with ever changing technology. We moved from 4:3 to widescreen in 2012. A grant in 2013 resulted in studio LED lighting. We started shooting in high definition in 2014 and launched social media pages that same year. In 2015 we began broadcasting with Cablecast, which included videos on demand on the township website and live streaming of Channel 15. The year 2017 included our one viral social media video, a Toys for Tots PSA featuring the Grinch – 4.1 million views on YouTube and more than 800 subscribers added because of one silly video! A Grinch video produced the next year, which I feel was a superior effort, has garnered a paltry 5,000+ views – go figure!
And then there was the Pandemic. I was at the station throughout the pandemic and had to find programming wherever possible, including every state COVID briefing, religious services and re-airing and re-packaging videos from our past. That first spring and summer no one was allowed in the studio – well, almost no one. I did give Ron MacCloskey permission to record a “Classic Movies with Ron MacCloskey” episode at the station as long as there were no guests. The result was he interviewed himself – strange days indeed.
Eventually meetings returned via zoom, closed captioning was added in September 2020, PTZ cameras were installed in the council chambers in 2021 and meetings were broadcast live on YouTube – all of this leading to a much deeper relationship with our IT Department, as you can imagine.
Social media reigns supreme, which leads me back to my earlier talk of cell phones and high camera placement – I’m pretty sure all of us are dealing with more and more members of the public recording events with their cell phones – they step in front of us and we have to ask them to move. We move from camera to camera afraid we’re interfering with their shots! In the photo, I’m standing atop a picnic table with 10-20,000 people around me – many of them recording with cell phones. How do we stay relevant?
Maybe we stay relevant by offering creative and professional video and sound recordings, we insert graphics and lower thirds that support the stories we are trying to tell (and what official doesn’t like to see his or her name and title flashed on the screen?) and we involve the public: I often like to have what I call an “audience cam” at the front of the room or stage; you’re having a good time dancing and waving your arms? You’re on television! (and the audience cam also keeps people in the audience on their toes – they tend to at least look more attentive if they think they are being recorded). Most importantly, we post content to social media and the township website – I steer viewers away from our SD cable channel to our HD content. In conclusion, Edison TV has been producing hyper-local content since 1991. I’m in my 20th and final year at the station with no idea who the mantle will be passed on to. Hopefully it will be someone with fresh ideas and the same commitment to consistently producing professional content for an ever-evolving Edison community; hopefully someone who will rise to the occasion. Happy Holidays!