Montclair State University has been awarded the license of New Jersey’s public
television station, meaning NJ PBS will now broadcast out of the university, BINJE has
learned.
The formal announcement, which is expected Wednesday afternoon from the
Department of the Treasury, ends a lengthy competitive bid process involving two
proposals: A consortium led by Montclair and one from New Jersey Independent Public
Media Corporation, led by former station head Phil Alongi, former board chair Scott
Kobler and a number of philanthropic leaders and organizations.
The agreement has to be approved by the Legislature, which is expected to do so.
The decision was first reported by the New Jersey Globe and confirmed by multiple
sources to BINJE.
Keith Strudler, the Dean of the College of Communication and Media at Montclair State, offered this statement to BINJE.
“We can confirm that we have submitted a bid to the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority to operate New Jersey’s four FCC-licensed public television stations. While we are confident in our bid and excited about the possibilities, we have no further comment at this time.”
The fact Montclair State has a state-of-the-art studio — any studio at all, for that matter
— may have been a key factor in the decision. NJ PBS, which closed its Newark studio
last month, has been doing its most recent broadcasts remotely.
It is one of many unanswered questions, including:
When will Montclair State assume the license and what type of programming it
will produce?
The school, which has the top journalism production program in the state, certainly will
have students ready, should it choose to produce a news program. And while it is not
unusual for PBS stations to be run through universities, the states that currently operate
with that setup all have state-based affiliates of national networks, which New Jersey
uniquely does not.
This must be noted: Producing a nightly newscast was not a requirement for obtaining
the license in the RFP.
Montclair State receives hundreds of millions of dollars from the state in various
ways. The governor appoints all of the trustees (except the student
representative). How will that impact programming?
Bigger question: What will happen the first time the station produces content showing
the state or governor in a less-than-flattering manner?
What will become of the remaining skeleton staff of NJ Spotlight News?
WNET of New York, the parent company of NJ PBS, announced last fall that it could not
come to an agreement to renew the N.J. license when it expires June 30.
WNET officials recently told the NJ Spotlight News team that it intends to continue
producing some type of New Jersey news program through Sept. 30. Whether that
holds remains to be seen. And how, or if, those employees will be asked to join the
Montclair State-led entity is uncertain.
Are there any certainties?
Only this: The end of the current NJ PBS was sealed last August after budget cuts at
both the state and federal level — and little interest by the governor or the Legislature to
subsidize the station — led to a first round of mass layoffs in the station.
State Sen. John Burzichelli (D-Glassboro) attempted to create interest in keeping the
station going, but his efforts received little support.
So, what does this all mean?
The state has come full circle: Fifteen years ago, Gov. Chris Christie ended four
decades of state funding for public television, forcing them to find a new funder.
That funder is now the state.
