McCarter & English partner Scott Kobler, the longtime chair of the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Loretta Weinberg Award for Journalism Impact.
The award, presented by the Corporation for New Jersey Local Media, honors non-journalists who have made significant, lasting contributions to journalism in New Jersey.
Kobler certainly has done just that.
For more than three decades, Kobler has played a pivotal role in shaping New Jersey’s public media landscape.
He has served as chair of the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority (NJN) under five governors, helped establish the NJN Foundation — which raised more than $100 million for public media — and currently chairs Public Media New Jersey, Inc., part of The WNET Group and the operator of NJ PBS and NJ Spotlight News.
His leadership has been instrumental in sustaining public broadcasting, enhancing local news coverage, and expanding access to trusted public affairs programming statewide.
An attorney for nearly 45 years, Kobler has built a nationally regarded practice in health care, higher education, and affordable housing finance at McCarter & English. He is also a tireless advocate for nonprofit leadership, having provided long-standing counsel to organizations focused on public broadcasting, responsible journalism, education, the performing arts, and accessible health care for underserved communities.
McCarter Chair Joseph Lubertazzi applauded the announcement.
“Congratulations to Scott on this well-deserved recognition,” he said. “His unwavering commitment to public service and journalistic integrity exemplifies the highest ideals of our profession. Scott’s work demonstrates the powerful role legal insight can play in supporting truth, transparency, and civic engagement.”
Established in 2022, the Loretta Weinberg Award honors the legacy of former State Senator Loretta Weinberg, a trailblazer who championed government transparency and accountability throughout her more than 30 years of public service.
Kobler will be the fourth recipient of the award.
Kobler will be honored at CNJLM’s annual Byrne Kean Dinner, held on Nov. 18, at the Park Avenue Club in Florham Park. (For info on tickets, sponsorships, click here)
The event celebrates the bipartisan legacies of former Governors Brendan Byrne and Tom Kean, building on their renowned “Byrne-Kean Dialogues” published in The Star-Ledger.
