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NJ PBS

Coordinates: 40°13′13″N 74°45′34″W / 40.22028°N 74.75944°W / 40.22028; -74.75944
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40°13′13″N 74°45′34″W / 40.22028°N 74.75944°W / 40.22028; -74.75944 {{Infobox broadcast}} may refer to:

{{Template disambiguation}} should never be transcluded in the main namespace.

NJTV is a PBS member network serving the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is owned by the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority and operated by WNET.org, the latter being the parent company of New York City's flagship public television stations, Newark-licensed WNET (channel 13) and Garden City-licensed WLIW (channel 21). WNET.org runs NJTV through a subsidiary nonprofit organization, Public Media NJ. NJTV's operations are based in Englewood, New Jersey.[1] Its anchor studio is located at Gateway Center in Newark.[2] Master control and some internal operations are based at WNET's studios in the Worldwide Plaza complex in Manhattan. NJTV airs PBS programming along with producing and broadcasting its own programs, mostly relating to issues in New Jersey.

NJTV is the successor to New Jersey Network (NJN), the state-controlled public television and radio service. NJN ceased operations on June 30, 2011, with Public Media NJ taking control of the former NJN television stations the following day.

Overview

Further information: New Jersey Network

The seeds which led to the eventual formation of NJTV were planted in 2008, when officials with the New Jersey Network asked the New Jersey Legislature for permission to explore the possibility of making NJN a community licensee owned by its fundraising arm, the NJN Foundation.[3] However, on June 6, 2011, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who vowed to end state-funded public broadcasting upon taking office in 2010, announced an agreement to turn control of the NJN television network to WNET. As part of the deal, WNET.org created Public Media NJ as a separate New Jersey-based nonprofit to operate the stations.[4][5] This is somewhat ironic, since NJN was created in part due to concerns WNET wasn't adequately serving the New Jersey side of its coverage area. Although WNET is licensed to Newark, for all intents and purposes it is a New York City station.

Under the terms of the deal, Public Media NJ would operate the stations for a five-year period, with two additional five-year renewable options. The New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority would retain the licenses, while Public Media NJ would receive funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and all revenues related to the former NJN technical operations. The measure was defeated by the state Assembly on June 23.[6] The state Senate, however, passed the resolution on June 27, allowing Public Media NJ to take over NJN's television operations as scheduled on July 1, 2011.[7] All members of NJN automatically became members of NJTV.

Caucus Educational Corporation, a nonprofit producer of New Jersey-focused public affairs programs, is under contract with Public Media NJ to provide original programming for NJTV. Caucus productions, Caucus: New Jersey, New Jersey Capitol Report and One-on-One with Steve Adubato were inherited by NJTV from NJN.

NJTV produces NJTV News, which airs weeknights in the timeslots previously occupied by NJN News. Veteran journalist Mary Alice Williams is the program's anchor.[8] NJTV News is produced at the Agnes Varis studio in Gateway Center in Newark.[9] NJTV also broadcasts programming distributed by PBS and American Public Television, and additional local productions.

On July 26, 2011, NJTV announced a partnership with the Foundation for New Jersey Public Broadcasting (formerly the NJN Foundation) to jointly fund and create additional public affairs programming. NJTV and the Foundation merged in September 2012.[10]

29-year New Jersey Network veteran Michael Aron, the system's news director at its closure and a former member of the Foundation's board, revived his former NJN programs Reporters Roundtable and On the Record on NJTV, and also appears on NJTV News as its chief political correspondent.[11][12]

Stations

NJTV's four full-power stations reach a potential audience of almost 28 million people in parts of five states – all of New Jersey, plus parts of Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and Delaware. While this gives NJTV one of the largest potential audiences in the country, it also must compete directly with three of the most-watched PBS member stations in the country. It not only shares its coverage area with sister stations WNET and WLIW, but also with Philadelphia's main PBS outlet, WHYY-TV (channel 12). Additionally, WLVT-TV (channel 39) in Allentown, Pennsylvania overlaps some of NJTV's broadcast area.

The NJTV television stations are:

Station City of license Channels
TV / RF 		First air date Fourth letter meaning ERP
 		HAAT
 		Transmitter coordinates Facility ID Public license
information
WNJT Trenton 52 (PSIP)
43 (UHF) 		April 5, 1971 Trenton 46 kW 266 m (873 ft) 40°16′58″N 74°41′11″W / 40.28278°N 74.68639°W / 40.28278; -74.68639 (WNJT) 48465 Profile
Template:TVQ
WNJS Camden 23 (PSIP)
22 (UHF) 		October 23, 1972 Southern New Jersey 197 kW 264 m (866 ft) 39°43′41″N 74°50′39″W / 39.72806°N 74.84417°W / 39.72806; -74.84417 (WNJS) 48481 Profile
Template:TVQ
WNJN1 Montclair 50 (PSIP)
51 (UHF) 		June 2, 1973 Northern New Jersey
or
Network (full name of predecessor) 		200 kW 233 m (764 ft) 40°51′53″N 74°12′3″W / 40.86472°N 74.20083°W / 40.86472; -74.20083 (WNJN) 48477 Profile
Template:TVQ
WNJB New Brunswick 58 (PSIP)
8 (VHF) 		June 2, 1973 New Brunswick 11.2 kW 296 m (971 ft) 40°37′17″N 74°30′15″W / 40.62139°N 74.50417°W / 40.62139; -74.50417 (WNJB) 48457 Profile
Template:TVQ
WNJN transmitter, at Montclair State University.
Notes
  • 1 WNJN used the callsign WNJM (the M standing for Montclair) from its 1973 sign-on to 1994.

Translators

Areas in the northwestern part of New Jersey are served by the following low-powered translators:

All translators directly repeat WNJN's signal.[citation needed]

Cable and satellite availability

NJTV is available on all New Jersey cable providers. In addition, WNJN is available on several cable providers on the New York side of the New York City area, as well as the New York DirecTV feed. WNJB is available on Time Warner Cable's systems in Staten Island, as well as the New York Dish Network feed. WNJS is available on most cable providers in the Philadelphia area, as well as the Philadelphia DirecTV and Dish Network feeds.

Digital television

Digital channels

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[13][14][15][16]
xx.1 1080i 16:9 1 Main NJTV programming / PBS
xx.3 AudioVi NJ Audiovision (audio-only)

1 Each station's respective callsign with "-DT" suffix serves as the PSIP name for the various NJTV stations.

References

  1. ^ Staff (undated) "Home page". NJTV. Retrieved November 8, 2012. "NJTV, PO Box 5776, Englewood, NJ 07631".
  2. ^ http://www.njtvonline.org/njtv-pressroom/2015/05/28/new-jersey-public-television-inaugurates-new-agnes-varis-njtv-studio-in-newark-with-ribbon-cutting-ceremony/
  3. ^ Behrens, Steve (May 12, 2008). "With Its State Aid Shrinking, NJN Asks for Independence". Current.
  4. ^ Press release (June 6, 2011). "Gov. Christie Selects WNET for NJN Takeover". NJN (via WMGM-TV).
  5. ^ Jensen, Elizabeth (June 6, 2011). "WNET to Oversee New Jersey Public Television". The New York Times.
  6. ^ "N.J. Assembly Rejects Plan to Transfer NJN Management to N.Y.-Based WNET". The Star-Ledger. June 23, 2011. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
  7. ^ "N.J. Senate Fails to Block WNET Plan, Ending NJN Network". The Star-Ledger. June 27, 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
  8. ^ NJTV website article on Mary Alice Williams
  9. ^ "Montclair and NJTV perfect together; state's public TV station bursts with township talent". Montclair Times. August 23, 2012.
  10. ^ "NJTV board votes to merge with former NJN foundation that raised millions for network". Star-Ledger. June 14, 2012.
  11. ^ "2 popular NJN shows to return to air on NJTV". Associated Press. February 22, 2012.
  12. ^ "Former NJN Staple Michael Aron to Join NJTV". The Star-Ledger. July 26, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
  13. ^ RabbitEars TV Query for WNJT
  14. ^ RabbitEars TV Query for WNJN
  15. ^ RabbitEars TV Query for WNJS
  16. ^ RabbitEars TV Query for WNJB
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