NJN has been the eyes and ears of New Jersey for 40 years. We have 4 TV transmitters and 7 FM radio stations around the state as well as 5 Educational Broadband Service channels, which are different than TV licenses.
We are nestled in one of the largest and richest media markets in the world .
In February 2009 the Federally mandated Digital Conversion will be complete. This is an explosion of potential revenue for the state of NJ.
The technical conversion is already in place, which has been already paid for, with state and federal funding.
The NJ Broadcast Authority was formed when NJN was founded. The Authority holds the licenses.
The Foundation was founded as a fund raising arm and now wants the Authority to hand over all of the licenses.
With the digital conversion and multiplexing, there will be up to 24 channels and combined with the EBS capability, NJN may become an extremely valuable revenue generating asset. The state needs to clearly understand this potential. Do not permit the privately owned Foundation to obtain this valuable state asset. The state has the asset and needs to keep it.
The state needs to have a professional licensing manager to assess the potential value and then work with the Broadcasting Authority and the State of New Jersey to properly manage The New Jersey Network into the future.
Produced by Members of CWA Local 1032 Working at NJN
I have been a fan of NJN for many years! Please do not let the private sector invade what clearly belongs to the citizens of New Jersey! Let the state NOT MISS the OPPORTUNITY to invest additional funds and make it the profitable for the STATE OF NEW JERSEY and its citizens! Please consider this appeal.
Not only do I want NJN to continue to inform the residents of New Jersey and be a viable broadcast entity serving the whole of new Jersey.
I would like them to acquire WNET/13 since they were orignally a NJ station which has abandoned its roots.
It now wants to shift it’s origination to Syracuse and backfeed to the transmitter in NYC.
How does this seervice our community?
I’m a retired professor of journalism and I watch NJN on a daily basis for its travel, musical, classical and news coverage. NJN is one of the best stations in the country. New Jersey residents need NJN because we want news about our State, not NY and not Pennsylvania. And we need stimulating, intelligent programming. If we lose NJN, private interests and ratings will determine the programming and NJ residents will be the losers.