NJN Michael Aron Will Be Missed

By Art Gallagher

State owned TV is gone from New Jersey. From a philosophical point of view I think that is a good thing.

From a practical point of view, I think it is unfortunate that the NJN Foundation got used to surviving on the government tit instead of doing the fund raising necessary to sustain independent public television in New Jersey.

From a selfish point of view, I was hoping to make “Bloggers Roundtable” part of my annual Thanksgiving week routine.

Most of NJN’s programing came from PBS. For the most part New Jersey probably won’t notice the difference between NJN and the new NJTV run by Steve Abudato, JR and WNET-New York. For example, as I write this “The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot” is playing on NJTV and “Seseme Street” is playing on WNET.

What will be missed is Michael Aron and his two weekly shows, “Reporters Roundtable” and “On the Record.”

“Reporters Roundtable” gave New Jersey insight into the people who deliver the news about their state government. While the reporters analysis of the various issues of the week was interesting, what I found most useful was learning about the capability and biases of those who deliver the news.

The enormously high standard that Michael Aron set for journalists with “On the Record” is a great loss to the State and to journalism. Aron’s knowledge of New Jersey history, government and politics probably more in depth than anyone in government and the media. While Aron knows more than everyone, he never lost his curiosity and was never a “know it all.” He didn’t suffer fools lightly, but he never embarrassed them. He is a generous gentleman.

That Aron has not already been hired by NJTV probably has more to do with politics and rivalries than it does with work product and service to New Jersey. That is the way things go in New Jersey, but it is too bad.