New Jersey Spotlight News aired its final show on NJ PBS on Tuesday evening, with the reins being turned over to Montclair State University today.
“We will continue to bring you this show — this version of our news show — until September 30th,” said New Jersey Spotlight News anchor Joana Gagis.
Viewers will be able to watch New Jersey Spotlight News with Brian Vannozzi on WNET at 5:30 PM for the next three months. After that, WNET, the New York public television station, appears set to exit the New Jersey television news business.
Gagis said yesterday was the last day for the longtime control room staff for NJ PBS: Mark Nixdorf, Matt McNamara, and Cody Louis.
WNET continues to own Spotlight News and has not said if it will retain the online news portion.
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.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill picked Montclair State University last month after a competitive process to take over New Jersey’s public television. They beat 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.
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.