NJ PBS will be shutting down next year after WNET was unable to reach an agreement with the state’s Public Broadcasting Authority to continue operating the public television station, it was announced Tuesday.
Debra Falk, director of communications for NJ PBS, said the recent cuts by the federal and state government have been “very significant.”
New Jersey state legislators cut $750,000 in funding to NJ PBS during budget talks earlier this year, resulting in layoffs, according to NorthJersey.com.
The WNET Group, the New York City-based public television station, entered into an agreement with authority to operate NJ PBS after then-Gov. Chris Christie cut funding to the state’s public television station in 2010.
The current contract expires on June 30, 2026. Until then, the company will continue to operate NJ PBS and produce its nightly newscast, NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi, which will remain available on NJ PBS, Thirteen and digital platforms, according to a news release.
“WNET is committed to supporting the state through this transition and looks forward to collaborating with New Jersey–based institutions interested in operating a public television network,” said Falk. “We remain a willing partner to collaborate, and we will continue to serve the New Jersey community on Thirteen and our digital platforms.”
The shuttering of New Jersey PBS “is a loss for all of us who live here,” U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said in a statement Tuesday. “Their programming benefits all New Jerseyans young and old. I’ll continue to stand up to the attacks on public broadcasting and support local networks in Jersey and across the country.”
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