Television Coverage

News12 is doing an outstanding  job covering the hurricane for New Jersey.  The major network affiliates in New York and presumably Philadelphia are doing the what they usually do….cover New Jersey as an after thought to their home cities.

News12 is only available to cable subscribers.  FIOs and satellite TV users are without comprehensive New Jersey news, which in the case of a hurricane or other disaster can be life threatening.

NJTV, the successor to NJN, is broadcasting an episode of Sid The Science Kid.

Hopefully NJN veteran Michael Aron, who has recently taken over the news operation of NJTV, will have the resources to build a bureau that provides New Jersey the news coverage it needs or will develop cooperative agreements with other outlets so that all New Jersey residents can get the news they need when they need it.

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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.

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They’re baaacccckk

On MTV starting January 6th.

I bet if NJN produced a knockoff staring New Jerseyeans rather than New Yorkers that people would watch it and they could sell enough ads to cover their budget.

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Musings on the future of NJN

By Art Gallagher

That NJN will survive is good for New Jersey, and not just because I’ve been a guest on one of the station’s best shows.

NJN has been given a reprieve from going dark on January 1 because people like it.   Tens of thousands of people like, “not hundreds of thousands,” as News Director Michael Aron told Politickernj.  

What those tens of thousands of people like, and what is important to New Jersey, is the station’s news coverage. In particular its coverage of state government and politics.  NJN was not given a reprieve because of reruns from the 60’s and 70’s of Christmas with the King Family or Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air.   If only tens of thousands of people like the station’s news coverage, how many are tuning in for 3 Steps to Piano Success?

Legislation that Governor Christie recently approved empowers the NJ Public Broadcasting Authority to work to transfer NJN from a government entity to the control of a non-profit organization or an existing public broadcasting entity.

Why not a for profit Jersey-centric commercial station with Jersey news and programing?   If HBO (The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire) and MTV (Jersey Shore) can get millions of viewers with Jersey-centric programing, a real Jersey TV station should be able to get the hundreds of thousands that Aron aspires to have.

I realize that that creates red tape and regulatory hurdles with the FCC, but it should be doable. 

Aron tells me the annual barebones budget for NJN is about $20 million, which includes “in-kind” contributions from the State for rent and other overhead items.   A good Jersey TV station should be able to sell a lot more that $20 million in advertising.  Expand the “sponsorships” to more that PSEG and the NJEA.

If we can sell advertising on our school busses, we ought to be able to sell advertising on our TV station.

Let’s find a way to make it happen and have more Jersey news, entertainment and sports.

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Christie Throws NJN A Lifeline

Christie Administration Takes Action to Move Forward Transition of New Jersey Network

Governor signs NJN transition legislation, names new authority members, suspends employee layoffs

Trenton, NJ – Moving forward with the next steps in securing the future for public broadcasting in New Jersey, Governor Christie today took several actions aimed at carrying out the Administration’s goal of transitioning New Jersey Network into an independent broadcast entity that will continue to serve a New Jersey-centric programming mission, without taxpayer subsidy. 

These steps include: the signing of the New Jersey Public Broadcasting System Transfer Act; the direct appointment of three members to the reconstituted New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority, as provided for in the Act; and, the temporary suspension of layoffs for NJN employees while the transition process develops.

“Today, we are taking the next steps to secure the future of New Jersey public television as an independent public media organization able to stand on its own without any continuing taxpayer subsidy,” said Governor Christie.  “In addition to our work already underway, these actions today pave the way for New Jersey focused programming to continue uninterrupted while New Jersey Network’s transition to a free-standing institution is completed.”

Governor Christie signed S-2406, the New Jersey Public Broadcasting System Transfer Act, a bill modeled on the Christie Administration’s proposal submitted to the legislature in September to accomplish the conversion of New Jersey Network from a government body to an independent entity, either to a non-profit corporation or through an agreement with an existing public broadcasting entity.

The Department of Treasury will be responsible for implementing the law, aspects of which is already underway, including:

·         compiling an inventory of the authority’s and foundation’s assets and liabilities;

·         identifying the methods or mechanisms required to transfer assets and liabilities;

·         receiving and approving proposals for the transfer of any or all of the authority’s or foundation’s assets; and

·         assuring that the successor to NJN can fulfill the responsibilities of a maintaining a New Jersey-focused public broadcasting operation.

In addition, Governor Christie today named the following three individuals to serve on the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority, effective immediately:

·         Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff

·         John Inglesino, Rockaway, New Jersey

·         Anthony Della Pelle, Morristown, New Jersey

S-2406 provides for the current membership of the Authority to be sunset and reconstituted.  These appointments represent the three direct appointments authorized by the Governor under the new statute.  Two additional members will be appointed to provide for the remaining membership, one by the Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester/Cumberland/Salem) and one by the Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver (D-Essex/Passaic).

Finally, Governor Christie also announced that the layoff plan for NJN employees, initiated in September in accordance with existing collective bargaining agreements, Civil Service Commission rules and regulations, and with the goals of moving NJN from a government body to an independent entity, will be temporarily suspended to provide for the continued temporary operation of NJN while the transition is completed.

Senate sponsors of the legislation are Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester/Cumberland/Salem) and Joseph Kyrillos Jr. (R-Monmouth) and in the Assembly it was sponsored by Assemblymembers Lou Greenwald (D-Camden), Alex DeCroce (R-Morris and Passaic) and Upendra Chivukula (D-Somerset/Middlesex).  

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NJN will remain on the air

Governor Chris Christie told the Star Ledger that NJN, New Jersey public television and radio stations, will remain on the air after January 1st if legislation that allows negotiations with a private entity to take over the station is passed before the end of the year.   Senate President Steve Sweeney, (Reagan Democrat) has a bill before the legislature that would create a bi-partisan commission to manage the transfer to a private entity.  Senator Joe Kyrillos has proposed a bill that would empower the State Treasurer to manage the transfer.

State funding for the network is scheduled to expire on December 31. Layoff notices went out to the station’s 130 employees last month.

Michael Aron, the station’s senior political correspondent, told MMM that the network’s annual budget is roughly $20 million, including $7 million in in-kind contributions from the State for rent on its facilities and other fixed assets. The cash contribution from the State coffers was $4 million in 2010.

Christie’s original plan under the current state budget was for NJN’s licenses to be sold or transfered to a private entity.  Officials now want the state to retain ownership of the license and enter into a management agreement with a consortium of broadcasters to provide content, according to the Star Ledger report.

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The Reviews Are In!

My family and friends think my appearance on NJN’s Reporters Roundtable with Michael Aron was wonderful.

My brother emailed me that his wife said I looked good.  I responded, “No wonder you love her, she is very generous!”  “Yes, she is,” was his reply.

The final broadcast of the first “Bloggers Roundtable” featuring yours truly, Murray Sabrin, and BlueJersey’s Jay Lassiter and Jeff Gardner is at 10AM this morning.  NJN is channel 23 on Comcast in Monmouth County.  Check your local listings if you have a different TV provider.

If you miss the broadcast you can view the video here.

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NJN’S “BLOGGER’S” ROUNDTABLE WITH MICHAEL ARON

By Art Gallagher

I was privileged to join Murray Sabrin along with BlueJersey’s Jay Lassiter and Jeff Gardner as panelists on Michael Aron’s Reporters Roundtable on NJN.

The video is just under 27 minutes long.  The show will be broadcast on television Friday evening at 7PM and Sunday at 10am.

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Happy Thanksgiving

I’m looking forward to being with family today, even if it means several hours of driving round trip. Last year much of my extended family was scattered geographically during the holidays.  As I look forward to sharing today with them I realise how much I missed them throughout the past year.

Thank you for being a MMM reader.  Five years ago when I started musing on the Internet, I never imagined I would have the voice I have today.  Thank you for that.

If you need a respite from food or football today, check out NJN’s Reporters Roundtable with Michael Aron, featuring Jay Lassiter and Jeff Gardner of BlueJersey, Murray Sabrin, and yours truly.  I’m thankful that NJN posted the show early.  It will be broadcast on TV Friday at 7PM and Sunday at 10AM.  Channel 23 on Comcast locally.  Maybe a commenter will post the Cablevision channel in the comments.

The link to the Reporters Roundtable video is here.

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