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Posted: June
24, 2010
New Jersey Network and News Imperiled by Cut in
State Support and Proposed Give Away.
As the staff
of New Jersey Network (NJN) we're taking the unusual
step of contacting our viewers directly to tell you
about a threat to the very existence of the only
broadcaster that provides statewide, quality coverage
of New Jersey news, public affairs, and culture.
We've dedicated our working lives to building a vital
public broadcast network to bring you news and information
about New Jersey that just isn't available from any
other broadcaster and increasingly isn't available
from newspapers.
But first we'd like to thank you
for your viewership and support of NJN throughout
the years. We hope that if you have supported NJN
financially in the past you'll do so again and if
you haven't before you'll consider it now -- if you
can.
Public broadcasters throughout the country including
WNET (Channel 13 TV) in New York and WHYY (Channel
12 TV) in Philly have severely cut staff and budgets,
instituted staff furloughs and cut local programming.
Tough times haven't spared NJN.
In the forty years
of NJN's existence we never faced more dangerous
times, Governor Christie's proposed budget for next
year would cut state funding to NJN next January
1st and privatize NJN at the same time. All of our
assets at NJN - our studio, towers, equipment, and
broadcast licenses would be given to a private group
to operate.
If we, the taxpayers of New Jersey, give
up NJN's broadcast licenses we won't long have a "New
Jersey Channel," as ultimately market pressures
will force NJN to merge with a New York or Philadelphia
broadcaster. There are already twelve commercial
TV broadcasters licensed in New Jersey -- none of
whom provide significant coverage of New Jersey state
affairs -- but they do cover every fire or murder
in New York or Philly. Transferring NJN's assets
to a private group at no charge, would also mean
that our forty year investment, which we conservatively
value at several hundred million dollars, would be
lost.
Once we part with the broadcast licenses, they
are gone forever.
Ending state support to NJN won't
allow us to provide you with news about our state
compiled by our knowledgeable reporting staff. NJN
news might not be technically dead but without state
support it will be a shadow of our current effort.
Let us be clear, we're the first to say changes are
needed to rid NJN of the suffocating red tape that
hampers our ability to bring you the best programming
about New Jersey, but cutting the investment in providing
news and information about New Jersey and turning
us over to a private operator aren't the solution.
We're now asking for your help. Could you please
tell Governor Christie to make sure that NJN receives
the support we need to provide you with New Jersey
programming and to make sure that we don't lose the
broadcast licenses?
You can contact Governor Christie
at 609-292-6000 or www.state.nj.us/governor/contact/
To find out more about the situation at NJN and our
plan to create a New Jersey Public Media Corporation
visit SaveNJN.wordpress.com.
Thanks. Sincerely yours,
The Staff of New Jersey Network represented by the
Communications Workers of America |
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