Enhancing Your Programming with Music

By Joel Feinberg, Chief Executive Officer, de Wolfe Music USA Inc.

De Wolfe Music was founded in 1909 by Meyer de Wolfe.  Now at 113 years old, we are a full-service music company offering a production music library, custom composition, sound effects, and commercial music clearance services.  Although the company is still independent and family-run, de Wolfe has achieved worldwide recognition and our music can be heard in countless films, TV shows, advertisements, and more.

The main attraction is our production music library, which contains a broad collection of over 100,000 tracks. Instead of aggregating existing recordings by random composers, de Wolfe works with a close-knit circle of full-time composers and is directly involved from composition to recording, mixing and mastering.  Both sides of our music (composition and master) are 100% owned and pre-cleared for licensing. By maintaining exclusive control of our compositions and master recordings, we make the licensing process 1-stop, quick and easy.  

We release 40-50 new albums every year, guaranteeing a fresh, contemporary sound within a multitude of genres.  We strive to stay on top of the hottest music trends and those that would lend themselves perfectly for synchronization.  Our in-house music specialists are available to provide music search assistance with lightning-fast results. 

Our Labels

DE WOLFE MUSIC
Creative and musically diverse, the production music label that started it all, covering most musical genres, with over 600 albums and tens of thousands of tracks.
SOLID STATE MUSIC
Tracks ideal for rock, sports, news and business all with a North American focus.
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
De Wolfe is proud to be working with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and releasing their recordings of the world’s greatest classical music.
DE WOLFE JAZZ
A unique collection of the very best jazz available for licensing. From ragtime to jazz hop, and everything in between
COMMERCIAL BREAKS
Made-to-measure music that’s ideal for radio ads, jingles and voice-overs, all cut to handy 60, 30 and 15 second lengths.
DE WOLFE VINYL
Our LP – back-catalog lovingly remastered. Old favorites, cult classics and music hard to find anywhere else
20TH CENTURY ARCHIVE
A special collection of our authentic vintage  recordings remastered from our prized vaults. Each album focuses on a particular era. Perfect for time period productions.
SYLVESTER MUSIC LIBRARY
Recorded between 1960 and 1974, the albums on Sylvester cover everything from avantgarde and music concrete, to French jazz and easy listening.
HUDSON MUSIC
The little production music library that’s a lot different. Hudson offers tracks that are quirky, fun and diverse: from easy listening and lounge to styles and musical clichés.
ROUGE
Rouge catalog showcases our commercial composers at their best. The specialty series ‘The History of Jazz’ features some of the outstanding musicians on the jazz scene.
ROUGE VINYL
The Rouge Music Library was created in the 1970s and includes a wealth of Disco, Sports, Jazz and Drama. All of these LP’s are now available re-mastered.
SYNCTRACKS
Synctracks covers a broad range of popular styles and genres as well as some experimental tracks for those who consider themselves adventurous.
BITE HARD
Bridges the gap between commercial music and the ease of licensing of production music. Bite Hard brings authenticity and commercial production values to promos, trailers, TV shows and movies.

Music Licensing

We offer a wide array of music licensing options which can be tailored to the needs of any single or series of productions.

Needle Drop: per use within a single production

Production Blanket: unlimited use within a single production

Series Blanket: unlimited usage throughout a series of related productions

Theme Use: unlimited use of one (1) track for a period of one (1) year

Annual Subscription: unlimited use of a portion or the whole library for a period of 1, 2, or 3 years.

Pricing

Our licensing fees are calculated based upon the type of production, clearances required, territory, and term. Please contact us for a quote at team@dewolfemusic.com

To learn more, we will be speaking at JAG’s general meeting on December 7th at 12:12pm via Zoom.

Spotlight: HPTV – A History of HPTV

By Monica Jackson, Station Manager, Highland Park Television

The broadcasting of video recordings of Highland Park, NJ public meetings by HPTV is an accepted fact in the Borough and a well-regarded public service.  Yet it may surprise some observers to hear that the development of the channel was by no means simple or amply supported.

The Borough’s Cable TV Advisory Committee established HPTV in 1996, initially offering only a bulletin board scroll. Video telecasts of Borough Council meetings began the following year.

As Borough resident Gary Leslie , long-time HPTV station manager shared, the Mayor and Borough Council were initially hesitant to have their meetings televised.  Yet they soon came to see the value of the broadcasts, both to improve transparency and for enhancing accessibility.  The Highland Park Board of Education expressed reluctance as well to see their meetings televised, yet they too embraced the option years later.

As the channel grew, HPTV added other forms of programming such as broadcasts of other town meetings and special community events; a talk show led by a local senior citizen; a series of stories from the public library; the airing of public domain films, and more.

When HPTV began adding local content, the limited group of volunteers who ran the channel benefited from a partnership with the public high school that allowed HPTV to work with a video production class and share a TV studio in the school with them.  The students helped develop some of the programming and the class teacher served as a member of the Cable TV Advisory Committee.  Sadly, budget cuts led to the cancellation of the class and the closing of the TV studio.

HPTV has often operated with a shoestring budget and a skeleton crew of volunteers.  The Borough was able to obtain grants from the cable provider during franchise renewal negotiations, and used these funds to purchase new equipment. In the last decade the channel established a presence on YouTube and Facebook, which has enabled it to further extend the reach of the programming.  Our next big step will be to stream our borough council meetings live to Highland Park residents beginning with our November meetings. 

In 2019, Gary Leslie decided to take a much deserved retirement from his time-intensive involvement in HPTV.  He has remained an active cheerleader, and helpful advisor for the station.  Gary’s leadership has given us the foundation from which we operate today.

Monica Jackson, communications coordinator of the Borough, assumed responsibility for the channel and has overseen programming ever since.  She, like Gary, finds it quite challenging to enlist volunteers to help create content for the channel.  We are always looking for new ways to recruit volunteers and we would welcome any suggestions as to how to find and keep new people.

HPTV is currently aired on Verizon Fios channel 44 and on Optimum channel 15.  The channel offers recordings of local government meetings (Mayor & Borough Council, Zoning Board, Planning Board, and Board of Education), programs produced by other sources (public access stations, public domain programming, etc.), bulletin board listings of upcoming events, and (when available) locally produced interviews and recordings of public events.  We depend on the JAG cloud-based server to supplement the programs we produce locally.  These programs help make the channel more interesting to our residents.

For more information on HPTV, please contact Monica Jackson at mjackson@hpboro.com.

Operational Benefits For Station Managers

By Bob Duthaler, Executive Board, Chair

Running an effective and efficient station can be a challenging job.  The degree of difficulty also changes depending upon your ability to spend time at your station.  Some stations have the luxury of a paid station manager who oversees the operation on a daily basis.  Others must rely on volunteers or boards to operate them successfully.  Some are even a combination of both.  However it is that your station is staffed, you need tools to help you successfully operate.  JAG understand this.  With this in mind, JAG is announcing our Manager’s Roundtable Discussions for 2023.  These are special virtual meetings designed specifically for those who are involved in the oversight and operation of the PEG channel.

Thursday, January 12th at 2pm:  Join us as we discuss “Sponsorship Opportunities for your Station”.  Learn from those who are currently doing or have done this, what is involved and for what you need to prepare yourself.  This is an open discussion designed for station managers to interact with each other, share personal experiences and ask questions of concern on the topic.

Thursday, March 9th at 2pm:  Join us as we discuss “In Studio Productions”.  Do you have a studio space or are looking to create a studio space?  Learn how stations are utilizing space to create a studio, quality content and more.  We will discuss all different sizes of studios from a small insert to a larger multi-set space.  Find out about shows created, set designs and equipment used.  This is an open discussion designed for station managers to interact with each other, share personal experiences or ask questions of concern on the topic.

Thursday, June 8th at 2pm:  Join us as we discuss “Field Productions: Multi-Camera Productions both Live and Live to Tape”.  How are stations covering larger events that require multiple cameras, including live switching, live streaming or live to tape coverage.  We will discuss production vehicles, fly packs, portable switchers and the latest in live streaming.  Come prepared to discuss your needs, budgets and capabilities.  Learn from those doing it currently and hear from those who want to take the next step.  This is an open discussion designed for station managers to interact with each other, share personal experiences or ask questions of concern on the topic.

Thursday, September 14th at 2pm:  Join us as we discuss “Sports Coverage”.  From single camera shoots to multi-camera shoots with live switching and cameras that can stream, add graphics and more.  We will discuss having play-by-play announcers to take your coverage to the next level and how you can create a big budget feel with a small crew or even single camera coverage.  Hear from stations currently covering sporting events and listen to those who want to take the next step.  This is an open discussion designed for station managers to interact with each other, share personal experiences or ask questions of concern on the topic.

Thursday, November 9th at 2pm:  Topic To Be Announced.  Do you have a specific topic you would like to discuss?  Please reach out to JAG President Bob Duthaler and discuss your ideas on topics you would like to discuss.  Contact information:  bduthaler@jagonline.org

Make the most of your station’s ability to create quality content and run efficiently and effectively by participating in the JAG Manager’s Round Table Discussions.  Currently the plan is to hold these sessions virtually.  If possible, there might be the ability to hold these in a hybrid format at a station’s location and online.  Please mark your calendar now for these must attend events in 2023.

Being an Affiliate of the League of Municipalities

by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair

Since March 2000, JAG (Jersey Access Group) members have raised awareness of communication issues that have an impact on the interests of local government. JAG has created initiatives that ensure the voices of local officials and citizens continue to be communicated effectively.

JAG Is an NJLM Affiliate

In 2013, JAG became an affiliate organization of the New Jersey League of Municipalities (NJLM). This allowed us to provide support to New Jersey municipalities in all areas of communications. We distribute information to more then 560 mayors and 13,000 elected and appointed officials who are League members. Each year at the League’s annual conference JAG presents sessions on communications issues that impact every municipality. These panels have spanned many communication issues and contain vital and informative facts that help New Jersey municipalities face communications challenges.

Meet the JAG Team at the NJLM Conference.

This year, JAG is preparing two new sessions that address potential funding for broadband and improving citizen engagement:

  • Following the Money: Accessing Broadband Funding (Wednesday, November 16, 10:45AM-12:00PM in Room 413 of the Atlantic City Convention Center). JAG and the NJ League of Municipalities present a joint session that explains how to access broadband funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Last year the Federal Government approved $65B to improve broadband deployment and adoption. This funding will flow to states for distribution. During this session, our expert panel discusses how municipalities can apply for grants and use funds at the local level. The panel is hosted by Mayor Brian Wahler, Piscataway Township with a keynote delivered by Lieutenant Governor Shelia Oliver. Other panelists include Valarry Bullard, Broadband Advisor to Governor Murphy; Joseph Rivera, Manager of Broadband Access – NJ BPU; Ken Fellman, Esq. Of Counsel, Helmer, Conley, & Kasselman, P.C.; Robert Boyle, CEO Planet Networks; and Bob Duthaler, JAG President.
  • Beyond Cable: New Ways to Communicate with Your Citizens (Thursday, November 17, 10:45AM -12:00PM in Room 413 of the Atlantic City Convention Center). This session discusses the different media and strategies that municipalities can use to communicate with their citizens. Our panel of experts will delve into social media, over-the-top (OTT) options and platforms beyond Facebook and YouTube. Our panelists include JAG’s Executive Board members who utilize various media and platforms every day to amplify and share municipal information every day.

Find Out More About JAG

Stop by our The Jersey Access Group booth, #230, on the trade show floor. Talk to us about how our non-profit organization can help you develop the best strategy for communicating directly to your audience.

_________________________________________________________________________

Long Battle over FCC nominee Gigi Sohn Prompts Action

On Friday, October 14th, JAG was among nearly 250 industry and public interest groups who wrote a letter to top Senate leaders calling for a vote on the nomination of Gigi Sohn to the FCC before Congress adjourns at the end of the year. The FCC needs a full commission as it begins to deliberate on vital decisions that will impact the American people and the economy.

Following the infrastructure legislation that Congress passed last year, the federal government will soon invest an unprecedented amount of funding in expanding internet access. The lack of action on the Sohn nomination, and not having a 5th FCC Commissioner in place, has constrained the efforts to restore open internet protections and close the digital divide.

During the last administration, the agency deregulated net neutrality protections and wiped-out decades-old rules that maintained media diversity throughout our country. This new legislation directs the FCC to develop rules in order to address the discrimination in internet access on the basis of income level or race.

Here is an excerpt from the letter:

           “Over Ms. Sohn’s 30 years of experience in telecommunications, broadband and    

           technology policy, she has shown a strong commitment to the First Amendment, and

           proven to be a leader in promoting innovation, US jobs and a strong economy. She has

           regularly worked with organizations representing diverse media interests and across the

           aisle to ensure all voices and views are heard both as a consumer advocate and as a

           government official. Her consistent and long held support of diversity in viewpoints in

           media will serve all voices well and is why she is supported by both conservatives and

           progressives. “

It was sent to Senators Charles Schumer, Mitch McConnell, Maria Cantwell and Roger Wicker.

For a full version of this important letter please go here

JAG – Connecting Your Content to Your Audience.

President’s Message: November 2022 – Your Odds Are Better With JAG

by Bob Duthaler

With the Powerball jackpot reaching almost 2 billion dollars, what a change to your life winning that money would make.  I read somewhere that you have a better chance of being struck by lightning 249 times before winning the lottery.  That is crazy!  Realistically, you are better off taking the money you would spend on buying lottery tickets over the years and investing it.  You would see a better return on your money over the years.  Still, like me, most of us will still buy tickets for the big jackpot.

How about winning the big jackpot with your job, videos, and overall quality of your station?  Is there a special lottery for that?  It’s not a lottery, it’s JAG!  Just by being a member of JAG you are already starting on the winning side.  The valuable information the organization provides its members is priceless.  The information the Jersey Access Group makes available to member stations, independent producers or non-profit organizations is geared to help these member groups operate more effectively.

Unlike the lottery, by being a member of JAG, the odds are in your favor that you get all the information needed to run a station, produce quality programs, or make your content available on different platforms. Organizations have many different avenues of learning at their disposal through a membership with JAG.  From the special “members only” section  on the organization’s website,  to the special members only email list serve, shared programming server and much more.  Each of these are designed to make the member’s experience welcoming and a powerful resource. 

To steal a line from American Express, “Membership Has Its Privileges”, can apply to being part of JAG.  Apart from the benefits I previously mentioned, it’s the interaction between the members that might be its most valuable trait.  This is possible through the monthly meetings (which are beginning to take place in person and online), conferences, awards banquet, webinars, and manager’s round table discussions. You even have the option to reach out to the JAG Executive Board and ask that they come onsite to your location to visit your operation or even speak to your mayor, council, or board.  JAG even created the ability for members to interact with leading manufacturers, PEG equipment & service providers, along with leading industry professionals. It is the personal touch that the organization provides that separates JAG from others and makes it so valuable for its members. One of the biggest strengths of the Jersey Access group is the availability for members to participate in the organization.  Each member has the ability to take part and serve on numerous committees that help steer the organization.  Members can also run for a position on the executive board.  The more effort members take to be active in the organization the more rewards they reap from JAG.  This increases your odds at being better at your job, producing quality content and running a more efficient station…and you do not have to be struck by lightning.

Spotlight: North Brunswick – Despite Municipal Building Closure, North Brunswick TV Overcomes Challenges

by Craig Yetsko, Station Manager, North Brunswick Television

Looking back at the past two and a half years, operations at North Brunswick TV could best be summed up with a quote from the movie Heartbreak Ridge as Clint Eastwood’s character, Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway told his platoon: Improvise, Overcome, Adapt.


The station overcame and adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic in a number of ways. They included:


▪ Airing daily, then weekly, briefings to keep residents up to date on the pandemic. The briefing
team included Mayor Francis ‘Mac’ Womack, Councilwoman Amanda Guadagnino, Office of
Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Cafferty and School Superintendents Dr. Brian Zychowski (March 2020 – June 2021) and Janet Ciarrocca (July 2021 – August 2022).
480 briefings were aired between March 11, 2020 and the final briefing on August 17, 2022.


▪ Airing live virtual Township Council, Planning and Zoning Board meetings via the TriCaster TC1 feed and
through the station’s Cablecast system


▪ Broadcasting virtual Township events and programs, including exercise/yoga videos for seniors

In June 2021, Township Council meetings were transitioning from virtual to hybrid. While it was challenging initially to get the right sound and video setup, meetings were beginning to run smoothly by August. With the Council Workshop meeting room set for hybrid meetings, work shifted to the main Council Chambers.


Progress towards hybrid was being made until everything changed again on September 1, 2021. The remnants of Hurricane Ida caused significant damage and closure of the Township Municipal Building. While the studio equipment was spared, conditions inside the building were not conducive for in person operations.


The station overcame this obstacle by going remote via Anydesk to access the studio’s computer and operate the station. Having used Anydesk during the pandemic, the transition was seamless. It allowed
for easy program scheduling on the Cablecast system, updating the bulletin board and editing video on DaVinci Resolve.


Township Council Meetings were held virtually after the storm, and then shifted to the Board of Education Meeting Room in November 2021 for a few meetings. The meetings switched to virtual during the winter but since March have been back at the Board of Education.


The meetings at the Board of Education are hybrid with virtual attendees logging in through Go To Meeting with the screen shared on 4 monitors around the room through the Kramer VIA program. In the control room, a TriCaster TC410 Plus is used for video production. The system was not hard to get used to as the station has a TriCaster TC1 in the studio.


Meetings are aired live with the assistance of the Board of Education’s IT staff. They remotely switch the port which allows the TriCaster feed to broadcast on the channel.


While Township Council meetings have gone hybrid, the Township’s Planning and Zoning Board meetings are held virtually. They are recorded and broadcast during the week and through the weekend.


The one area which has returned to normalcy has been coverage of Township events. These include the Memorial Day 5K Walk/Run, Memorial Day Ceremony, National Night Out, Tunes at Twilight Summer Concert Series and North Brunswick Heritage Day. Events are recorded using a JVC GY-HM170U camera.


For non-Township programming, the station broadcasts Aging Insights, Spotlight on Middlesex County, R&B Bistro and Classic Movies with Ron MacCloskey. North Brunswick TV is currently in development of its own Classic Movies show with Mayor Womack as host.


Looking ahead, assessments will be made on the existing studio equipment as well as evaluating the best broadcast setup for hybrid meetings in the Council Chambers. The lessons learned and adaptation to new technology from 2020 to 2022 will only help North Brunswick TV in 2023 and beyond.

A Retrospective on the Importance of PEG – The Full Picture

by Dave Garb, Legislative Committee Chair

Last month we talked a little about how PEG Television Channels showed their true value to our individual communities during the pandemic. We all embarked on a “fast tracked” learning curve in order to deliver important information and programming to our audiences.


Local governments, schools, small businesses, community organizations and of course, our residents, all benefited immensely because of the endeavors of their individual access channels.


PEG organizations are the ones who truly bleed the slogan “As Local, As Local Gets”! Or should we say
Hyperlocal???


Let’s review what PEG actually accomplished in the beginning of the pandemic:

1) PEG, as I mentioned, had a limited time to figure out how to continue broadcasting all local
government and public meetings to our residents to maintain transparency. Every PEG station has
different requirements in order to air their specific programming. We had to quickly learn how
platforms, such as Zoom and Cisco, worked with our various channel needs. Not only were we able
to go Live through these means, but we were able to air our vital information to Facebook, YouTube,
ROKU, AppleTV and Amazon Fire. We also were able to stream on individual municipal websites and
PEG websites, and some stations did Instagram and Podcasts. Wherever our audiences were able to
see and hear us, we made sure that the messages got to them!

2) PEG constantly updated essential messages from Mayors, Superintendents and Health Officials.
All of us were put on a 24/7 standby notice to make this happen. PEG channels were also the only
place viewers could go to watch Governor Murphy’s “daily” press briefings in their entirety, both
“live” and “on demand.”

3) PEG recorded a series of chemistry, biology, and other education labs and lectures to be able to
bring the practical education to students’ homes. Many stations tried to create programing to help
parents entertain their kids while they worked from home. PEG even developed specialized
programming around yoga, meditation, drawing, painting and sing-a-long songs that both educate
and entertain. Everyone created unique programming that was something that the residents looked
forward to, learned from, and provided something positive.

4) While many municipal stations don’t normally carry religious services, because of the pandemic,
special arrangements were made with local churches, synagogues and mosques to carry services to
worshipers who were not allowed to attend them in person. Many PEG stations also covered virtual
graduations to give families a chance to celebrate with their graduates when traditional celebrations
were not allowed to be in person. While sports were allowed to be played, attendance was
restricted, so PEG stations carried many local school sporting events so friends and family could
watch their teams and children compete. In addition, events such as Memorial Day parades, that
were not allowed to have an in-person audience, were recorded so they could be seen later,
providing an important sense of normalcy.

5) PEG stations kept their Bulletin Boards up-to-date with local news and announcements from the
latest Covid information to senior hours at grocery stores. This included public service messages
about proper hand washing techniques, social distancing requirements, the need to wear masks,
testing locations and more.

PEG stations are, always have been, and will continue to be the main source for community communications, including the monitoring and involvement with our local government officials and school boards. Unfortunately, it took this pandemic for everyone to realize the benefits of having local channels, and the value which PEG has always provided to local communities.


FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Responds to Lawmakers’ Concerns About
The Future of the Universal Service Fund

In September, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel penned responses to two groups of lawmakers who had written to Rosenworcel about the future of the Universal Service Fund. In her responses, the chairwoman highlighted the FCC’s Report on the Future of the Universal Service Fund adopted on August 12, 2022. FCC Reports to Congress on Future of the Universal Service Fund


This report is connected to the Infrastructure Act, which includes the largest ever federal investment in
broadband, totaling approximately $65 billion. This Report provides recommendations for further actions
by the Commission and Congress to build upon that investment and improve the ability of the Commission
to achieve its goals of universal deployment, affordability, adoption, availability, and equitable access to
broadband through the Universal Service Fund and other Commission programs, to ensure that all of us have the broadband needed to succeed and thrive today.

The Report includes discussion of the costs of data transportation and their impact on rural providers,
according to Rosenworcel. “It recommends that the FCC initiate a proceeding to consider the future support
needs of networks serving high-cost areas, and in doing so assess what continuing support is needed to
develop, maintain and improve broadband operations in those locations,” she said. “In addition, the Report
includes discussion of middle-mile development in high-cost areas,” she continued, and recommends that the FCC “engage with NTIA on this program, and then study its results and its implications on for High Cost and the other universal service programs.”


Rosenoworcel also states that the Report includes discussion of whether the Universal Service Fund
contribution base should be broadened to include “edge providers,” such as streaming video providers or
major digital advertisers, which are by many accounts responsible for a significant volume of traffic on
networks serving high-cost areas.”

5 Things You Didn’t Know LiveU Could Do

by Yervant Keshishian, Sales Engineer & Technical Director Varto Technologies & LiveU Staff

Varto Technologies is proud to host the Jersey Access Group meeting once again at our facility in East Rutherford, NJ. Joining us on Oct 26th will be LiveU’s Mike Mahoney, Director of US Channel Sales who will present the latest solutions from LiveU like the LU810 & LU610S 5G, 4K rackmount contribution encoders along with the LU800 and LU300s field units. Following the presentation, Varto Technologies will demonstrate some features hidden away in the LiveU lineup!
LiveU has an abundance of products and solutions – all with different uses and features that you might not
have known about. Here are five things LiveU can do:

  1. Least Cost Bonding
    We understand that cost-effectiveness is an important part of any business. And depending on the location and type of event or broadcast, you could be using a lot of data to maintain your stream’s bandwidth. That’s why we created a “Least Cost Bonding” feature directly into LiveU Central. LiveU’s Least Cost Bonding feature allows you to save money on your live productions.

How? While managing your units in LiveU Central, you can set up Least Cost Bonding. In this menu, you can decide what interfaces you would like to prioritize.
For example, you can swap to “Use Ethernet/Wi-Fi First” which will prioritize your wired ethernet or Wi-Fi connections before resorting to using your cellular data. Cellular can be available as back up to your secure internet connection for full redundancy in your transmission.

  1. Live & Store
    Of course, “Live” is in our name…but did you know that all LiveU units can also store a high-quality recorded
    version of your stream for use afterwards?

Live & Store is built directly into all LiveU HEVC products and can be used to quickly and easily store a recorded, high-quality version of your broadcast locally to the unit, or directly to LiveU Central.
This could be leveraged in an area with poor network conditions if you want to ensure having a high-quality version of your live stream saved locally on your LiveU device. This tool makes it an ideal solution for sending files back to editors in real-time allowing for quick turn-around times to get your content out to the world as soon as possible.

  1. Video Return Portal

Keeping an eye on your live video feeds is a crucial part of your live broadcast.
Offered with LiveU field units (LU800, LU600, LU300S, LU610) or over any mobile device, Video Return enables field crews to get constant live feeds from the studio, ensuring professionally
produced and smoothly run live broadcasts. The service guarantees sub-second delay from the studio to the field, with super resilient video streaming based on LiveU’s LRTTM (LiveU Reliable Transport) streaming and bonding technology.

  1. Audio Connect (Audio Rooms)
    LiveU Audio Connect offers high-quality and reliable cloud-based audio solutions, enabling news anchors and producers in the station to communicate easily with camera operators and talent in the field.
    Audio Connect offers a variety of communication types:

LiveU Audio Room is the newest addition to the LiveU Audio Connect solution and allows you to treat your
communications through the LiveU system as an open party line for your entire talent and crew.

  1. LiveU Cloud Connect

As the industry continues to move into the cloud, LiveU has
remained focused on creating cloud-based solutions to stay
on the forefront of innovation. By introducing LiveU Cloud
Connect
, you can now seamlessly interconnect high-quality,
low latency live video feeds from the field with any of your
cloud-based production platforms.
Simply plug your on-site camera to any LiveU field unit and
seamlessly send your live feeds into your cloud-based
production platform. Cloud Connect offers multiple output options including NDI, RTMP, MPEG-TS and SRT allowing you to take your LRTTM streams and instantly ingest them into your production tool.

President’s Message: October 2022 – You + 1 Committee = JAG Member

by Bob Duthaler

A math problem? It’s not a math problem, but rather an organizational
problem. But just like a math problem, it has a solution. So, let’s break
down the problem and together we will reach the solution.


An insight to what the problem is for JAG is not unlike any other organization’s
problems. JAG does many great things. This organization provides many avenues of
information for its membership. Everything from monthly meetings, managers round
table discussions, webinars, conferences, and awards shows. These are the things
that we do well and which separate us from other organizations.


So then, what is the problem? As with any successful organization, at some point
members start to slowly withdraw from participating in committees and even in
regular meetings. They are under the impression that the organization is providing
everything they need, is running smoothly and falsely feel their participation is not
needed. That is a big problem for any organization and is currently one for JAG.
So how is that a problem when JAG is doing everything we need already? Let’s break
it down (still no math, I promise). As members start to slowly withdraw from
participation it creates a void. This void is felt by the board and committees that
regularly meet to support the organization. As current board and committee
members retire, relocate, or take a break after many years of service, without other
members stepping up to fill their spots, the void continues to grow. If this void grows
too great, then the organization starts to stagnate and lose touch with members and
their needs.


Finally, we reach the easy part, the solution. So, what is the solution you ask
(metaphorically – and I am glad you asked)? It’s simple – YOU. Yes, you. You are the
answer to our potential problem. Confused? Let me clarify. By YOU actively
participating in meetings and more importantly joining in a committee, you fill in the
void, which in turn helps the organization grow stronger. You add a new voice to the
committee and their discussions. New voices equal new thoughts which equal
different ideas which equal a growing organization (that started to feel like math, but
technically it’s not). I leave you with this challenge. Review the list of committees
below, reach out to the committee chair and tell them you want to be part of that
committee. Every JAG member should be on a committee!

You + 1 Committee = A Perfect JAG Member = Complete and Healthy Organization

Spotlight: Cranford – Darkest day gave way to its brightest future

by Christine Hoffman, Staff, Cranford Television

PEG TV35 in Cranford was born in 1986 with the help of then Township Committeeman Dan Aschenbach, who understood the benefits of public access to his community.  It started at the high school but was moved to the township to give greater community access. That is where it remains today.  Cranford resident H. Edward Davenport was asked to help lead the effort to start it up.  He had little funds, so he gathered old and used tech equipment and duct taped it into a station that instantly brought local news and interesting stories to Cranford.  Ed worked full time at pharmaceutical giant Hoffman LaRoche.  He headed its media department which was tasked with making commercials and worldwide product announcements.  But for years he volunteered every night at the station and slowly molded the beginnings. 

With Cranford residents Ron Brown and Jack Duffy, the three labored for hours on editors like the Toaster, to produce shows such as how to make a good Irish soda bread and the opening of our community center.  The station back then brought in many high school volunteers who are now working in areas such as homeland security, the MLB network, and Fox sports.  TV35 occupies the lower level in our municipal building.  In 2011 Hurricane Irene swamped our local river, which came flooding into the station.  We had at least 4 feet of dirty water in our studio and control room.  Everything was ruined by the floodwaters.  However, TV35’s darkest day gave way to its brightest future.

A good insurance policy enabled the station to leap into this century and allowed us to up our production quality.  We now have our third main Tricaster, the Tricaster 2 elite.  Our live events are brought in with our Live U 300, and we have three Mac editors with adobe premiere pro.  Our studio, recently named the H. Edward Davenport studio, has three Hitachi SD cameras and gray and green curtains for virtual backgrounds.  We use SCALA as our billboard software and are in the market for a new affordable one.  Unfortunately, our request to fund new software was rejected last year.  We have a mobile truck for our graduation coverage and football games. 

When our old box truck died, the township’s sewer dept gave us their van.  After it was sanitized, we moved in our mobile operations, including a Tricaster TC1.  Our coverage is hyperlocal and adds another voice to the community.  We show all the regular meetings of the township committee, planning and zoning board, and the BOE, high school graduation, Memorial Day parade, prom and pre-prom parties, church services and townwide events.  We have shows that focus on town, health and education issues. 

The goal is to give leaders and residents a chance to have their say and to add to the conversation.  Some of our more popular shows include Cranford Cooks, which is named after a Facebook group here that highlights culinary dishes people are making and eating.  On our show, residents share their cooking tips and recipes with each other.  Our high school football, baseball and wrestling teams do well, and so they too are our most popular shows and we cover them on a regular basis.  We do try to cover at least one game in each varsity sport per year.  With talented home announcers and now the addition of graphics and replay, our residents, alumni and extended Cranford families can really enjoy following their home teams and neighbors.  We have a small town feel, and Friday night football brings us all together. 

During the pandemic, TV35 brought residents coverage of high school baseball’s Last Dance series.  We gave our town a bit of a respite, something to have fun with during a dreary time.  People held small family gatherings outside on their patios with their TVs, eagerly waiting for the games to be on.  Our team eventually won the whole contest, easily beating top notch private schools, and hundreds of people were able to watch through us.  It was the town buzz.   In the last few years, we have averaged more than 300 shows that we produce per year.  TV35 has two part-timers who work on a daily basis, and several people who work hourly to help with editing and live shows.  We always welcome volunteers.  TV35 programming can be found on channel 35 on Comcast and Fios, on Facebook and on CranfordTV35 YouTube.  While we eye the HD channels longingly, we fear changing location to such high numbers on the dial would confuse our senior citizens, who are among our most loyal viewers.  They rely on us to connect them to the community.  TV35 started as, and remains as, a labor of love.  The staff pours tremendous amounts of time and effort into producing shows and keeping up with technology.  Financial constraints keep us at bay, but the station does its job, which is to show the community a reflection of itself and to promote conversations to move the township to new levels.