Christie Administration Endorses a New Approach to Public Media for New Jersey

(Trenton, NJ)     The proposed New Jersey State budget for fiscal year 2011 calls for a 50% reduction in New Jersey Network’s (NJN) state appropriation, from $4 million to $2 million. According to the FY 2011 Budget in Brief, “ This reduction assumes that NJN will operate independently, and New Jersey will no longer be in the public television business as of January 1, 2011.
 
“NJN’s relationship with the state of New Jersey may change,” said Kent Manahan, Chair, New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority (NJPBA), “but our relationship with the people of New Jersey will remain the same. The NJPBA will work closely with the Foundation for New Jersey Public Broadcasting (NJN Foundation) and with state government to preserve NJN’s public service mission and purpose, and provide the very best programs and services to our region.”
 
Richard Bagger, the Governor’s Chief of Staff and a former Trustee of the NJN Foundation, said, "The Governor recognizes the role and service public television and radio have in New Jersey. We have already started working with NJN’s leadership and staff to transition NJN to a self-sustaining organization with the capacity for future growth.”
 
According to the Organization of State Broadcasting Executives (OSBE), 90 of the nation’s 174 public broadcasting licensees operate with community licenses. The others are licensed to state government (20) and educational entities. NJN’s stations are currently licensed to the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority (NJPBA), required by the FCC to “serve the educational needs of the community; for the advancement of educational programs; and to furnish a nonprofit and noncommercial television broadcast service.”

Douglas S. Eakeley, Chair, NJN Foundation, the fundraising arm of NJN, notes, “With a strong team effort, NJN can write a new and exciting chapter in its story.  We believe that an independent structure will strengthen NJN’s role as a vibrant public media service, leverage state-of-the-art digital media for the public good, and ensure a strong voice for the people of New Jersey.”
 
To achieve these ambitious goals, the NJN staff has been developing a new operating plan to provide far more original New Jersey projects, and far more original productions.
 
“Our goal is to provide anytime / anywhere service, incorporating television, radio, internet, mobile devices, and live events to engage a technologically-savvy, 21st century audience,” explains Howard Blumenthal, Executive Director of NJN, and President of the NJN Foundation. “Building upon NJN’s decades of experience in television, we will continue to provide the quality programming New Jerseyans expect, while leveraging an independent structure that will allow NJN to grow and diversify our offerings in the future. Journalism is changing, but NJN will continue to serve the news and public affairs needs of our state and our region.”

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