New Jersey State Treasurer Aaron Binder and Montclair State University have announced that Montclair has been selected as the new programming and management operator of New Jersey’s four FCC-licensed public television stations, ending a period of uncertainty about the future of NJ PBS in the wake of federal funding cuts.
The selection of Montclair, which was one of four bidders for the management contract, returns New Jersey public television to a New Jersey based operator. WNET had managed NJ PBS since 2011 but was unable to come to terms for a new contract because of federal funding cuts.
The contract between the New Jersey Public Broadcasting and the University will be submitted to the Legislature for their review. The Legislature, which has stressed its desire and strong support for public television to continue in New Jersey, has 15 days to review the contract.
The agreement is for five years with two five-year extensions. Under the agreement, Montclair is responsible for programming the stations and has committed to providing at least six hours of New Jersey-centric programming a week, including a weekday nightly news cast and other public affairs programming, live broadcasts of the Governor’s State of the State address, the Governor’s Budget Message, and live coverage of New Jersey elections.
The new contract follows months of uncertainty over the future of NJ PBS and effectively ensures that public television will thrive in New Jersey for the long-term, NJ PBS and Montclair reported.
Last fall, the WNET Group announced that it has been unable to reach an agreement with the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority to extend the management of NJ PBS, New Jersey’s public television network, beyond the expiration date of June 30, 2026.
WNET Group cited significant funding cuts by the federal government and New Jersey state government as a prime reason for the impasse on the operating contract.
That prompted fears that the service might shut at the end of this month.
“Public broadcasting is a vital public service that ensures New Jersey families have access to trusted news, educational programming, and information about their communities. At a time when local journalism faces growing challenges, today’s action keeps this essential service alive in New Jersey,” said Governor Sherrill.
“New Jersey’s public television stations exist to serve every resident of this state, and this selection reflects our commitment to ensuring that mission continues on a sustainable, long-term foundation,” added Rick Williams, executive director of the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority. “Montclair State University brings broadcast-ready infrastructure, deep community ties, and a demonstrated commitment to New Jersey journalism. We look forward to working with the University and the Legislature as this transition moves forward.”
In announcing the deal, Montclair reported that it plans to reimagine public media and expand the value public broadcasting can provide to New Jersey residents.
As part of that effort, it plans to draw on the state’s 300-plus news organizations, its colleges and universities, and its diverse communities to create and inform programming made stronger through collaboration and shared expertise.
In addition to a robust broadcast presence with daily newscast and discussion programming, NJ PBS said it will focus significant efforts on digital and social media content as well as in-person events and public engagement.
Montclair’s proposal used existing university assets to create an operational budget that reflects the difficult financial climate for public media in the wake of the Trump administrations push to end federal funding.
Montclair has committed to providing $1.2 million annually of in-kind contributions from the University, including studio access, engineering expertise, IT infrastructure, human resources, finance, legal, and facilities management. It also includes teaching and internship opportunities for students, helping to train future media professionals while also infusing a dynamic perspective into station programming.
The station will be housed in Montclair’s College of Communication and Media. The College has a production facility, complete with professional broadcast studios and film stages, multiple control rooms, a multimedia newsroom, and engineering infrastructure built for network-level production. Faculty and staff bring extensive professional experience in the New Jersey and national media landscapes, and the College has been nationally recognized for its work while preparing the next generation of New Jersey media professionals.
More than 20 full-time employees will initially operate NJ PBS, including three reporters and a production team of 11. Students will also participate through internships and supervised experiential learning opportunities.
In addition, Montclair reported that the Center for Cooperative Media, housed within Montclair’s College of Communication and Media, will help build the backbone of NJ PBS’s statewide journalism model.
The University said that the Center’s longstanding relationships with hundreds of New Jersey news organizations provide NJ PBS with an existing statewide journalism ecosystem capable of supporting collaborative reporting and community-informed storytelling across all regions of the state. Montclair’s operation of NJ PBS will also include content partnerships across the state, including collaborative agreements with a range of other New Jersey colleges and universities as well as civic, arts, and news organizations, ensuring network content reflects the diversity and talents of New Jersey’s residents and communities.
Montclair plans to produce a daily newscast and discussion program, a weekly public affairs roundtable, and sports coverage, including a formal partnership with the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
