President’s Message: June 2023 – Gone Fishing….. I Only Wish That Was True

by Bob Duthaler

I have had the chance over these last few weeks to speak to a lot of our JAG Members and the one thing I keep hearing is how busy they are, especially this time of year.  The first thing I say is… I know exactly what you mean.  The second thing I always say is, I’m glad.  I am glad to be busy and I am glad you are.  That means we are all out there covering the things that need to be brought to attention in our communities and making a big difference.  So, with that in mind, I am going to give you a few excerpts from past articles and links to them for you to read the entire article.  I believe the things I have mentioned and talked about cannot be stressed enough.  So enjoy being busy, enjoy the summer and when you get a chance, however brief as it may be, relax and wind down!

All Things JAG need your participation:  (February 2023 Article) Monthly General Members Meetings

Meetings are a continued benefit of being a JAG member.  In January we held our second hybrid meeting (in-person and Zoom). The meeting was hosted by Piscataway TV and included a special vendor presentation and lunch by DeSisti Lighting.  It was once again great to gather together, eat lunch, conduct the business of JAG and hear and see a vendor presentation.  Those who could not make it in person were still able to participate via zoom, and had full access to the presentation by Paul from DeSisti Lighting and were able to ask questions and participate fully.  The only thing the online participants missed out on was a free lunch!  Our upcoming meeting in February will be a 100% Virtual.  Please look out for the upcoming invitation along with a special presentation by JAG Organizational Member Cablecast during out next meeting.  We will once again be hybrid in March as Bloomfield will host the in-person meeting and vendor presentation by Telvue.  I urge you to participate in the upcoming membership meetings as we also discuss, present and vote on matters to help keep the organization running.  We always meet on the last Wednesday of each month, taking both July and August off in the summer.  I look forward as always to seeing all our members at our meetings. (Click Here For February 2023 Article)

Station Check List – Help Grow Your Station (April 2023 Article)

Use What You Have, and Use It To The Fullest

We are all guilty of this, I know that I am.  So, what am I referring to?  Just about any product or software you have in your place.  You would be surprised on how much they have to offer and how we don’t use them to their full potential.  What are some examples of this?  How can I find solutions?  I will give you a couple examples, but take inventory on all your hardware and software, research all they have to offer, then train yourself to use these products to their full potential. For our purpose I am going to talk about broadcast systems, and multi-camera productions.  Each one of these are important to station productions, operations, and overall appearance.  (Click Here For April 2023 Article)

You + 1 Committee = JAG Member (October 2022 Article)

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 an organization and is currently one for JAG.

So how is that a problem when JAG is already 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 get stagnate and to lose touch with members and their needs.  (Click Here For October 2022 Article)

Holiday Wish List… 3^rd Annual (December 2022 Article)

What would be on your list this year for your station?  I hope you picked up some ideas from the many vendors who attended our in-person trade show back in May or from the many vendor presentations at our monthly meetings.  There is no wrong answer in this situation.  Each station operates differently from others across the state and vary greatly.  But each has the same core principle, to inform the community which they serve.  When you make your wish list, keep in mind your community, their needs and how as a station you can serve them.  The goal is always to enhance what we are currently doing.

It’s no secret that I am a tech head!  I love new and exciting things that come along that can help our industry and make our lives easier.  I love to play around with these items, demo them, beta test and give valuable feedback on how they would fit in with my station operations and  serve my community.  With that in mind, I am going to share with you some items that are on my wish list for this holiday season based on what I am doing at stations I am involved with.  Perhaps these will give you some ideas, help you to review your stations needs and give you direction for the future. (Click Here For December 2022 Article)