Montclair State will get N.J. public television franchise

A consortium led by Montclair State University has won a competitive process to take over New Jersey’s public television station, the New Jersey Globe has learned.

They appear to have beaten out a competing proposal submitted by the New Jersey Independent Public Media Corporation, a group of former NJ PBS leaders, including former station manager Phil Alonghi and former board chairman Scott Kobler.

Last fall, New Jersey PBS announced it would close by the end of this month after WNET, the New York-based station that owns NJ PBS, was unable to reach an operating agreement with the state agency that owns the broadcasting tower.

NJ PBS cited deep budget cuts to public television by the Trump administration and a 75% reduction in funding in the last state budget.

Kobler and other trustees resigned in advance of the closure.

Fifteen years ago, Gov. Chris Christie ended four decades of state funding for public television, forcing them to find a new funder.  The state cut $750,000 in NJ PBS funding this year, but that was hardly the fatal blow; the fatal blow came with the end of federal funds.

NJ PBS closed its Newark studio last month, and the final broadcasts are being done remotely.

Spotlight News is expected to remain with WNET.   WNET has said it would continue some form of New Jersey news, but has not released details of its plan.