by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
Last month I joined the ACM as we visited our esteemed Senators and Representatives on Capitol Hill in an effort to garner co-sponsorship for the” Protecting Community Television Act”.
The Identical bills, S 340, Authored by Senator Edward Markey (MA) and Tammy Baldwin (WI), & HR 907, Authored by Representative Anna Eshoo (CA), were reintroduced in Congress on February 9th of this year. It was our intention to make sure to inform as many members of Congress as possible about these bills.
Being the sole spokesperson for New Jersey, by representing the Jersey Access Group, and never having experienced what I was about to encounter, I had a steep learning curve to navigate.
Fortunately for me, ACM President Mike Wassenaar had already planned two very interesting meetings for me with the Legislative Assistants to Senator Cory Booker and Representative Mikie Sherrill. Both seemed very interested in what was told to them regarding the effect of the 2019 FCC ruling upon community television, why these Acts came to be, and why we need their support by co-sponsoring them. I even had the pleasure of having Mike join me for the meeting at Senator Booker’s office.
As for the rest of the members from New Jersey, their offices were easy to find and they had open door policies, so I was able to talk to their office staff and to leave information for their Legislative Director/Assistants. And yes, I managed to visit all of our Federal Legislators.
The main message communicated to each office or staff member was quite simple, and it is the crux of why the Protecting Community Television Act is needed. PEG/Access Television is in jeopardy!
From The ACM:
In 2019, The FCC 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 (S 340/HR 907) corrects this error by clarifying franchise fees are only monetary.
The Cable Act 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 (transparent) civic, public safety and public health content.
The Protecting Community Television Act (S 340/HR 907) 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.
When the Protecting Community Television Act, was introduced during the 2021-2022 Congressional Session, Representatives Donald Payne (10th District) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (12th District), led the charge by co-sponsoring it at that time. The hope this time is that we can get all of our members of Congress to support them and the local content that our communities need and deserve.
With all this fresh in your minds, this also happens to be one of our main topics at this year’s legislative workshop at the JAG Conference.
News from Capitol Hill and Around the Country,
and What it Means to the New Jersey PEG/Access Stations
The Jersey Access Group will present a workshop at 10AM on May 18th at the Crown Plaza in Edison, NJ as part of its annual conference.
Our featured panelists will be Mike Wassenaar, President of the ACM, and Mike Lynch, Legislative & Regulatory Affairs Director for NATOA, the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors.
Do you know what is going on in the Halls of Congress or even in the individual States, including right here in New Jersey, that could affect how you are able to do business as usual at your local municipality and PEG stations?
There are many issues that will be talked about during this very informative conversation.
- Hear how the Protecting Community Television Acts, which are circulating around both chambers of Congress, could drastically change the direction of the FCC’s 621 Order that currently is hurting all access communities and municipalities.
- Is the FCC going to get a 5th Commissioner and what would that mean to you and the citizens of New Jersey?
- What is the status of the Broadband Funds and how could this effect your community both monetarily and regarding your community fully connected.
New Jersey Current Mobile Broadband Map
New Jersey Current Fixed Broadband Map
- An Act To Ensure Nondiscriminatory Treatment of Public, Educational and Governmental Access Channels by Cable System Operators has been enacted in the State of Maine. Known as the “PEG Non-Discrimination” or “PEG Equal Rights” law, Nondiscriminatory Treatment of PEG Access Channels, it carries out five major actions:
- Cable Services Providers must carry local PEG stations on all basic subscriber tiers and packages
- Cable Service Providers cannot downgrade signal quality if PEG stations are sending an HD signal.
- No ‘slamming.’ Local PEG stations must be placed in the same numerical range with other local network affiliate stations.
- Local PEG content/data must receive equal treatment in all electronic program guides and digital menus
- PEG organizations must be provided with a direct point of contact to resolve issues related to PEG signal quality.
Could this law be considered in other States? Find out the answers to these issues and more, along with having your own questions answered by our panel of national experts on all matters that could greatly impact the future of access television. Please register for not only this informative session, but all the events planned to keep you and your communities in the know. https://jagconference.com/
News & Events
Posted: April 26, 2023 by Doug Seidel
More Components Added to The Conference
By Don Smith, Vice Chair, Conference Committee
From the first conference to our 19th edition, the JAG Conference is the best place to get the latest hardware updates the freshest gear, and collaborate with your fellow colleagues from other stations around New Jersey. This year’s conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Edison on May 18th from 9am-11pm.
We are only a month away from the JAG Conference!
Conference Updates
TelVue Users Group: Ultra-affordable All-in-One Playout, Integrated Streaming, Editing, and CBB, Live Caption Translation, New Viewer Analytics, and more!
Showcasing the latest and greatest from TelVue including a peek into our broadcast products roadmap…all with the purpose of streamlining your workflow, saving you time, expanding your audience, increasing accessibility, and unlocking new sources of revenue. Demos & topics will include: New, ultra-affordable & scalable HyperCaster AIO+ All-in-One playout models; HyperCaster integrated CBB, editing, and streaming; HyperCaster automatic social media multistreaming, no expensive restreaming services required; Redesigned, mobile-friendly scheduling pages to streamline scheduling from anywhere; Enhanced user access control & roles to more easily and securely distribute workloads; Affordable, accurate live captioning with live translation to a second language; Making your government meeting videos fully searchable with Caption Transcript Search; New, built-in viewer analytics to gain more insights into your streaming, mobile & OTT audiences; CloudCast player integrated full-view agenda/documents and channel schedules. Bring questions, feedback, feature requests. Great for existing users looking to get the most out of their TelVue systems, and prospects looking to upgrade from unsupported and cumbersome platforms, or insecure windows playout systems.
A huge thanks to TelVue for being our Diamond Sponsor.
TriCaster & NDI User Group: NAB Highlights & Interactive Forum
Discover the latest TriCaster and NDI advancements at our JAG Conference User Group session, where we’ll kick off with an overview of the groundbreaking updates from the NAB Show in Las Vegas. Learn about innovative features such as HTML 5 Cloud Graphics and how they can revolutionize your live productions. Following this brief presentation, the session will transition into an interactive forum for both new and experienced TriCaster users. Participants can ask questions, discuss workflows, and learn from each other’s experiences, with our presenter offering demonstrations and insights into real-life workflow scenarios. This engaging session provides an opportunity to connect with industry peers, share best practices, and stay ahead of the curve in live video production. Moderator: Yervant Keshishian, Sales Engineer, Authorized Trainer & Technical Director, Varto Technologies. Varto Technologies is a Titanium Sponsor and will sponsor the JAG Banquet.
There will be a number of workshops throughout the day and details can be found at www.jagconference.com . Planet Networks is a Titanium Sponsor and will be sponsoring the Keynote Lunch.
Banquet Entertainment
Returning to JAG’s conference is Simon Mandel, sponsored by Cologna Productions. Simon Mandal started out as a kid reading books at the library, and watching beginner magic VHS tapes. He knew by the time he was ten that he wanted to be either a magician or a comedy writer. After high school, he studied Acting/Drama at the Mason Gross School of the Arts, and at The William Esper Studio. Those years weren’t dedicated to magic head on, but he studied comedy in depth, and it helped his show a lot. Simon went full time in the early 2,000’s, and has been developing his own magic ever since. Simon Mandal is one of the most in demand illusionists in the world today. Mandal combines incredible feats of skill with hilarious interactive routines that bring the house down, and be prepared to become part of the show. Simon will be looking for help from the audience to join him on stage.
Separate banquet tickets are on sale. Order now. This event will sell out.
The conference wraps up with the JAG Banquet and the JAG Awards. Please stay and cheer on colleagues from local access stations across the state! There are many new categories this year to win, and many stations will go home with some nice trophies. This year the cost of the Conference, including the JAG Banquet is $160 per person for JAG members. Your admission includes the User Group Breakfast, vendor exhibits, a number of workshops, keynote lunch, admission to the cocktail party, the banquet and the JAG Awards. Details can be found at www.jagconference.com
Posted: April 26, 2023 by Doug Seidel
A Visit to the Hill: Protecting Community Television Act
by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
Last month I joined the ACM as we visited our esteemed Senators and Representatives on Capitol Hill in an effort to garner co-sponsorship for the” Protecting Community Television Act”.
The Identical bills, S 340, Authored by Senator Edward Markey (MA) and Tammy Baldwin (WI), & HR 907, Authored by Representative Anna Eshoo (CA), were reintroduced in Congress on February 9th of this year. It was our intention to make sure to inform as many members of Congress as possible about these bills.
Being the sole spokesperson for New Jersey, by representing the Jersey Access Group, and never having experienced what I was about to encounter, I had a steep learning curve to navigate.
Fortunately for me, ACM President Mike Wassenaar had already planned two very interesting meetings for me with the Legislative Assistants to Senator Cory Booker and Representative Mikie Sherrill. Both seemed very interested in what was told to them regarding the effect of the 2019 FCC ruling upon community television, why these Acts came to be, and why we need their support by co-sponsoring them. I even had the pleasure of having Mike join me for the meeting at Senator Booker’s office.
As for the rest of the members from New Jersey, their offices were easy to find and they had open door policies, so I was able to talk to their office staff and to leave information for their Legislative Director/Assistants. And yes, I managed to visit all of our Federal Legislators.
The main message communicated to each office or staff member was quite simple, and it is the crux of why the Protecting Community Television Act is needed. PEG/Access Television is in jeopardy!
From The ACM:
In 2019, The FCC 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 (S 340/HR 907) corrects this error by clarifying franchise fees are only monetary.
The Cable Act 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 (transparent) civic, public safety and public health content.
The Protecting Community Television Act (S 340/HR 907) 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.
When the Protecting Community Television Act, was introduced during the 2021-2022 Congressional Session, Representatives Donald Payne (10th District) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (12th District), led the charge by co-sponsoring it at that time. The hope this time is that we can get all of our members of Congress to support them and the local content that our communities need and deserve.
With all this fresh in your minds, this also happens to be one of our main topics at this year’s legislative workshop at the JAG Conference.
News from Capitol Hill and Around the Country,
and What it Means to the New Jersey PEG/Access Stations
The Jersey Access Group will present a workshop at 10AM on May 18th at the Crown Plaza in Edison, NJ as part of its annual conference.
Our featured panelists will be Mike Wassenaar, President of the ACM, and Mike Lynch, Legislative & Regulatory Affairs Director for NATOA, the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors.
Do you know what is going on in the Halls of Congress or even in the individual States, including right here in New Jersey, that could affect how you are able to do business as usual at your local municipality and PEG stations?
There are many issues that will be talked about during this very informative conversation.
New Jersey Current Mobile Broadband Map
New Jersey Current Fixed Broadband Map
Could this law be considered in other States? Find out the answers to these issues and more, along with having your own questions answered by our panel of national experts on all matters that could greatly impact the future of access television. Please register for not only this informative session, but all the events planned to keep you and your communities in the know. https://jagconference.com/
Posted: March 15, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Spotlight Asbury Park: A Year of Two Milestones
By Ed Salvas, Secretary. Asbury Park Cable TV Advisory Committee
January 2023 marked the start of the eleventh year of operation for Asbury Park TV, known as APTV. Seen on Optimum channels 77 and 116 and on Verizon FiOS on channels 28 and 30, APTV is programmed around the clock with the usual Public Access programs: City Council, and Board of Education meetings, as well as the Planning and Zoning Boards. APTV can also be seen on streaming services Roku and Apple TV, YouTube and online at www.AsburyParkTV.com.
This year, we’re looking forward to two important milestones – opening our new studio and turning on our APTV “Beach Cam” on the famous Asbury Park Boardwalk. In March of 2020, Nate McCallister was hired as APTV’s Station Manager. He calls the studio an “alternative work space” that for years had been a storage room next to the Council Chambers and will be convenient for interviews following the twice monthly Council meetings and numerous other meetings and city events that take place in the Chambers.
We anticipate the Beach Cam to be on before summer. Positioned on a light pole near the south end of the boardwalk, it will also be helpful to the city beach management to keep an eye on the beach and boardwalk crowds and surf conditions. The Beach cam will be added to the second channels, Optimum 116 and FiOS 30 along with the latest weather information and Public Service announcements. The major programming schedule on APTV is available on the main channels.
APTV operates as part of the City of Asbury Park’s Department of Communications with a seven-member Advisory Committee which reviews and selects programs, follows news and trends in the PEG world, and stays up to date as a member of JAG from Day One. In addition, we’re responsible for several “Electronic Billboards” located around the city with the “Welcome to Asbury Park” greeting and a rundown of announcements of coming events and other public service messages.
At APTV we believe we have a good mix of programs that meet the criteria for the true meaning of a PEG channel – “Public, Educational and Government.” Since the beginning in 2012 we have aired meetings of the Asbury Park City Council, Planning and Zoning Boards, and the Board of Education. The Board of Ed. meetings are taped by them and delivered to us. Since Asbury Park is experiencing significant redevelopment, the Planning Board meetings often have an overflow attendance as well as strong viewership on-demand.
Thanks to Verizon FiOS and the internet, we can be seen beyond Asbury Park and have been carrying meetings of the Deal Lake Commission, the group that oversees the lake, a large body of water that flows from the Ocean through seven towns in Monmouth County. Deal Lake was named the “Third Most Beautiful Lake in New Jersey” by a national travel magazine in 2022.
Also on the APTV schedule is “Monmouth in Focus,” a production of the County Commissioners and “Aging Insights” from the N.J. Advocates for Aging Well. Among our own original productions is a quarterly interview with Mayor John Moor talking about current city issues and a weekend weather forecast and Podcast produced by Muata Greene, which earned him one of the five JAG Awards won by APTV last year. APTV also carries two national programs each evening, “Sidewalks Entertainment,” a celebrity interview and music program from San Francisco, and “Democracy Now,” an independent News program.
The APTV Advisory Committee meets at the Historic Stephen Crane House, built in the late 1800’S and the home of the famed writer during his teenage years. With the Asbury Park Historical Society, APTV has produced a documentary about the life of Stephen Carne which debuted on the station In December, 2022.
Posted: March 15, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Sponsors Help Develop The Conference
By Don Smith, Vice Chair, Conference Committee
Take a moment to think about what you were doing in 2000. Think about where your channel was, from technology to creative to your relationships with your cable provider.
So much has changed in the local access space since JAG held their first conference back in 2000. In just 21 years we went from shooting videos on VHS or S-VHS, or if you were lucky Mini DV, to now when everything is digital on SD Cards and hard drives. And you know who kept you up to date on the latest tech? JAG! From their first conference to our 19th edition, the JAG Conference is the best place to get the latest hardware updates, the freshest gear, and collaborating on ideas with your fellow colleagues from other stations around New Jersey. This year’s conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Edison on May 18th from 8am-11pm. Conference workshops are being held one at a time so no need to decide which one to attend. Attend them all! And if you get hungry, we have you covered from breakfast to our Keynote Lunch and the JAG Banquet.
SPONSORS
TelVue Corporation is an Organizational Member of Jag and once again our Diamond Sponsor! I am sure everyone knows Jesse, Denise, and Mark from the great staff of TelVue. And if not, then this is the perfect place to come and meet them! From your bulletin board to playout solutions, they have something for everyone! Come join us at 8am for breakfast with President and C.E.O. Jesse Lerman at the TelVue User Group Breakfast for a great meet and greet opportunity! TelVue will also sponsor a workshop on Social Media that will be moderated by Jesse.
Varto Technologies is also a very valued member of the JAG Community, organizational member of JAG, and a Platinum Sponsor! Varto and Yervant Keshishian are huge supporters of JAG and the mission local access stations have in the State of New Jersey! Join Varto Technologies at 9am for a User Group Breakfast, and that afternoon Varto will be sponsoring a workshop on New Technology Tools that you do not want to miss! LiveU will be one of the panelists talking about product updates that will be released at NAB.
Cologna Productions joins this year’s list of sponsors as a Sapphire sponsor making it possible for the entertainment at the banquet. Cologna Production operates a number of stations all of which are members of JAG.
DeSisti Lighting is a long time organizational member and conference supporter. DeSisti is a Silver sponsor and will be sponsoring the Networking Break and a workshop demonstrating ways to light a remote interview using a bag of tricks. DeSisti sale manager Paul DiStefano has been at every one of JAG’s Conferences since they began in 2000.
JAG is grateful for the generous support of our sponsors in making it possible to provide this conference and continue its work in New Jersey. They will all be exhibiting and we hope you will take the time to visit and thank them.
Last but certainly not least the conference wraps up with the JAG Awards. Please stay and cheer on colleagues from local access stations across the state! There are many new categories this year to win, and many stations will go home with some nice trophies!
So, to get in on all this fun you need to go to our new website www.jagconference.com. There you will be able to see our schedule, list of exhibitors and hotel directions and accommodations. Thinking of spending the night then make sure you use our special discount code JAA when you are booking your room.
This year the cost of the Conference and the JAG Banquet is $160 per person for JAG members. Your admission includes breakfast, keynote lunch, networking beverage breaks, the Cocktail Party, the Buffet Dinner and the JAG Awards. JAG is a vital resource for your local access station, has been since 2000, and will continue to be for many years to come!
Posted: March 15, 2023 by Doug Seidel
FCC Nominee Withdraws from Confirmation Proceedings
by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair
Sad news came out recently, when Gigi Sohn, a longtime public interest advocate and former Democratic FCC official, withdrew her nomination to the FCC. She said her decision to pull out follows “unrelenting, dishonest and cruel attacks” made by cable and media industry lobbyists. This announcement is seen as a huge defeat for consumer advocates, who had rallied behind her.
The Biden administration has a very ambitious broadband agenda that has been up in the air for more than two years, amid a 2-2 stalemate at the FCC. Sohn was first nominated by the White House in October 2021, and had the support of many consumer advocate groups.
Sohn’s withdrawal statement was direct and to the point:
“Last night after discussions with my family and careful consideration, I made the decision to ask President Biden to withdraw my nomination to the Federal Communications Commission. When I accepted his nomination over sixteen months ago, I could not have imagined that legions of cable and media industry lobbyists, their bought-and-paid-for surrogates, and dark money political groups with bottomless pockets would distort my over 30-year history as a consumer advocate into an absurd caricature of blatant lies. The unrelenting, dishonest and cruel attacks on my character and my career as an advocate for the public interest have taken an enormous toll on me and my family.
Unfortunately, the American people are the real losers here. The FCC deadlock, now over two years long, will remain so for a long time. As someone who has advocated for my entire career for affordable, accessible broadband for every American, it is ironic that the 2-2 FCC will remain sidelined at the most consequential opportunity for broadband in our lifetimes. This means that your broadband will be more expensive for lack of competition, minority and underrepresented voices will be marginalized, and your private information will continue to be used and sold at the whim of your broadband provider. It means that the FCC will not have a majority to adopt strong rules which ensure that everyone has nondiscriminatory access to broadband, regardless of who they are or where they live, and that low income students will continue to be forced to do their school work sitting outside of Taco Bell because universal service funds can’t be used for broadband in their homes. And it means that many rural Americans will continue the long wait for broadband because the FCC can’t fix its Universal Service programs.
It is a sad day for our country and our democracy when dominant industries, with assistance from unlimited dark money, get to choose their regulators. And with the help of their friends in the Senate, the powerful cable and media companies have done just that.
I want to thank President Biden for his faith in me and for my champions in the Senate who defended me at every turn. I especially want to thank the dozens of people who volunteered their time and energy to help me through this process, as well as the over 400 organizations, companies and trade associations, and hundreds of thousands of individuals who registered their support with the Senate. I will forever be grateful for their efforts on my behalf.
I hope the President swiftly nominates an individual who puts the American people first over all other interests. The country deserves nothing less.”
So, after a 16-month ordeal and 3 intense Senate confirmation hearings, what happens next? A new nominee will have to be found with another lengthy and grueling confirmation period to follow. And any policy changes at the FCC will continue to be delayed.
Protecting Community Television Act Reintroduced in Both Sides of Congress
The Identical “Protecting Community Television Act” bills, S.340, sponsored by Senator Edward Markey, & H.R.907, sponsored by Representative Anna Eshoo, have been reintroduced in Congress.
These bills would reverse the regulations made by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and ensure that public, educational, and government (PEG) channels have the assets they need to keep producing content for their viewers.
There are already many members of Congress who have already co-sponsored both bills. We ask that all of you to reach out and ask our Federal Legislators to support the Protecting Community Television Acts. It falls on all of us in New Jersey to do our part to see that our Senators and Representatives are ready to re-support them, and lead the way in making sure that every municipality’s voices can continue to be heard by their specific audiences.
Posted: March 15, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Cost-saving Integrations & Time-saving Automation from TelVue
By Jesse Lerman, President and CEO, TelVue Corporation
It’s about time: one of the most precious commodities you as station managers and volunteers offer to your organizations. We know how difficult it can be to achieve efficiency in your operations: the performance of work in the right way and getting to the desired result, but with minimal effort, time, and cost.
TelVue Corporation has always been focused on the latest innovations to help you, the valued JAG member stations, save not only time and money, but to develop and improve system features that will help expand your viewership and increase accessibility. Cost savings can be achieved by integrating and doing more “all-in-one”. Time savings through enhanced, modern automation. Time to work smarter, not harder; time for ready, set, integrated & automate!
TelVue is excited to share with JAG our latest HyperCaster integrations and automation including:
The new streaming rules feature expands on the existing time-saving, rules-based automation in HyperCaster that also includes:
Our upcoming HyperCaster & CloudCast releases will additionally include:
The broadcast future is already here, so ready, set, integrate & automate! We hope to see you at the March JAG meeting. We’ll review all the newest and upcoming features across our products and share our roadmap. We look forward to hearing from you how we can continue to make modern broadcasting even easier, and help you save time, expand your audience, increase accessibility, and generate new sources of revenue.
Posted: February 21, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Spotlight: West Milford – A Thank You Note
By Geoff Belinfante, West Milford TV
I have a ritual. Every Thursday morning it’s my responsibility to program our channel, WM77 here in West Milford, for the following Saturday. Why Thursday?—because our council meetings are held on Wednesday nights and I want to make sure that the latest meeting is available for viewing at 11:00 Saturday morning for those who can’t catch it during the week at its regular times—7:00am and 7:00pm.
By PEG standards, we have a very small station run by a handful of intrepid volunteers, and as I was doing my programming this week, I had this thought–without JAG, the other PEG channels around the country, and independent producers that support our efforts, there would be no West Milford channel. Why?
Since we don’t have enough volunteers to shoot all the local activities that could fill the channel, we rely on the JAG cloud–based server to help us create a program schedule that has broad appeal to everyone in town. It is in that context that we present our School Board and Town Council meetings. Thanks to the server, they are included on a channel that someone might actually want to watch! What better way to provide transparency in government to those who wish to watch their elected officials in action and keep track of how their tax money is spent.
Thanks to the JAG server, we are able to program a channel 24 hours a day, and my Saturday schedule is a good example of how we use the programs available to us. The overnight hours are full of old movies, paranormal shows—(thanks to Woodbridge) and/or South Amboy’s Spooky Thriller Mystery Theatre. Then we grab a very nice version of the national anthem at 5:00am to begin our broadcast day. Don’t worry, I’m not going to give you an hour by hour breakdown of the rest of the day, but I am going to detail the kind of shows that we use on any given Saturday to create a general interest channel.
In the morning there are exercise shows for seniors (Seniorcize, thanks to Woodbridge); kids shows (Sing a Long with Miss Mirium from HTTV), drawing and painting—Saturday Morning Cartooning (again Woodbridge). In the afternoon and evening, after some local sporting events when available, we have programs for adults like Democracy Now, Empowering Women, Ted Talks, shows related to the environment like Peak Moment, and science shows from the National Science foundation and NASA. But as they say in all those awful infomercials—There’s More.
TV isn’t just about information; you have to have some entertainment, and we have lots of music shows to choose from including one that we produced locally before the Pandemic called “Music from the Vreeland Store”—a local restaurant and watering hole. Then there’s “Sidewalk Entertainment from the West Coast” with a peek into the world of entertainment. There are also many cooking shows to choose from just in case someone out there is interested in finding something to cook for dinner on Sunday. I also am able to program Book Review shows, interview shows, shows on aging and specials on many different topics that are available for occasional use. There are also excellent shows that are produced by Montclair State and other University Radio and TV programs. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention all the short segments like “Riverwatch” thanks to the Delaware River Keepers that help fill the time between shows.
So this is a thank you note—Thank you to JAG, all the PEG channels around the country and the independent producers who contribute to our server for providing us with programs that keep our little channel up here in the highlands going. No article about the JAG server would be complete without a big THANK YOU to TelVue, who hosts all the content and makes it available to those of us who depend on it. Without the server, there wouldn’t be much to WM77. The moral of the story… If you need to fill out a program schedule and you want to provide your residents with some great programming, but you don’t have the staff or money to shoot everything in your town, then use JAG’s cloud-based server as a resource. There’s lots of great stuff available.
Posted: February 21, 2023 by Doug Seidel
Announcing The 2023 JAG Conference
By Geoff Belinfante, Conference Committee
JAG held its first conference in 2004 and this year we will celebrate our 18th conference. The JAG Conference Committee is pleased to announce that the JAG Conference for 2023 will be held at the newly renovated Crowne Plaza in Edison on Thursday May 18th., so mark your calendar now. The website where you can follow all the developments as the date approaches is simply www.jagconference.com .
Although it’s only February, rest assured that the conference committee has been busy working on the plans for this year’s event, but there will be some very notable changes from past conferences.
We have consulted with many of our Organizational Members to provide insight in the develop of this year’s program. The committee’s focus is to rework the conference from trying to bring people to a trade show to having an event that addresses the needs of our membership and strengthen the relationships of all levels of membership.
This year the conference will be a one day event combining sessions, user groups and vendors. The workshops will not be streamed. You have to be present to participate. Many of the events will be held in the main room where there will be a stage for speakers and sessions. There will be only one session presented at a time so participants don’t have to make any hard choices as to which workshop to attend. The meals will also all be served in the main room which will give attendees a chance to network and get to know the vendors all at the same time.
The committee has been hard at work planning interesting sessions that will include a legislative update on those matters of interest to our members; the ever-popular Social Media session that will provide tips on how to get the most out of your social media platforms; a look at new technology that can improve production and station operations, and a tips on lighting interviews at remote locations. Details and guest panelists will be announced soon.
As we have for the past few years, the conference will be followed by the JAG Banquet and Award Celebration that will include a cocktail party, buffet dinner and of course the award ceremony itself celebrating the best in a variety of categories. If you haven’t entered yet, please check out all the categories (and yes there are some new ones this year) in the JAG Award section of our website, and enter soon, the deadline for entries is February 28.
Once again this year we have to thank our organizational members for their continued support. TelVue is our Diamond Level Sponsor, which means they are the general sponsor for the entire conference. Varto Technologies will be the sponsor of the JAG banquet, and both TelVue and Varto Technologies will sponsor user group breakfasts. Already committed to attending are LiveU, De Wolfe Music, DeSisti Lighting and Cologna Productions, with other vendors to be announced as the date approaches.
This year’s JAG Conference will offer ample time to network with your fellow JAG members and to discuss your equipment needs with the vendors. We will also present our Legislator of the Year and Municipal Excellence Awards during lunch and the JAG Recognition Award at the banquet.
This year the cost of the Conference and the JAG Banquet is $160 per person for JAG members. Your admission includes breakfast, keynote lunch, networking beverage breaks, and admission to the Cocktail Party, the Buffet Dinner and the JAG Awards. Cocktails, three square meals, informative panels, the opportunity to meet with vendors, and a chance to network with your colleagues—The JAG Conference—an event that can’t be missed. For more information and the latest additions to our program, check out www.jagconference.com and circle May 18th on your calendars. Registration is now open.