The Media Services Department of Pemberton Township Schools was created in 1979. Our primary responsibility was public relations promoting high school activities and events. We operated out of a small room on the second floor of the high school, the department was manned by one full-time and one part-time employee. The tools of the trade consisted of one television camera and recorder, a microphone, a 35mm film camera, and a dark room.

During the 1980 - ’81 school year, additional television equipment was purchased through federal grants and our responsibility of overseeing public relations went district wide. Our very first broadcast was the 1981 commencement exercises that aired on Garden State Cable TV. Programming was produced on high-quality 3/4" broadcast tapes, which were then transported to the local head-end cable TV access point in Browns Mills. During the following year, we gained our very own educational cable access channel through the township's cable franchise agreement. The access agreement allowed the school district to begin airing broadcasts directly from our own facility at PTHS and Channel 19 was born.  In 1982, the part-time employee became full-time and in 1984, the media services department grew to a staff of four.  In that same year, we outfitted a remote television truck where Channel 19 opened an electronic window into our school district for area residents that highlighted district-wide special events and broadcasting of sporting events.  

Also during the 1980's, efficiency was the goal when all copier printing was assigned to the department. We centralized the document handling of our 13 buildings by combining remote xerography sites into one location at the high school.  To this day, our Document Services Department produces 1.8 million copies per month for district faculty, staff and administration.

Today, our department is responsible for community liaison duties, government relations, educational access television productions, newsletters, printed flyers, mailers, brochures, district-wide inter-office mail and the coordination of all US Postal Services for the district.  We coordinate, design and produce a wide variety of assorted printed materials for all schools.  The department is also responsible for creation, maintenance, and operation of the district’s web site and oversees content and branding at all member schools through print and electronic media.

Our focus is on continually generating positive outreach in all areas of media while promoting and supporting the foundational components of the district's mission statement: Pemberton Learning Community: Pursuing Excellence One Child at a Time