With NJ PBS slated to go off the air next year because of budget cuts, some members of its board of trustees and chair resigned Monday.
NJ PBS said WNET, channel 13 in New York, which is licensed by New Jersey, could not reach a deal with the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority after President Trump signed legislation clawing back $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funding.
“The recent cuts by the federal government and New Jersey state government have been very significant,” NJ PBS said in a statement.
“It won’t be the same”
“NJ Spotlight News” anchor Briana Vanozzi announced to viewers that NJ PBS will go dark in 2026, but that the show will hang on.
“After June 2026, this program will continue to be produced and will air on 13, its digital platforms, and will be made available to other outlets interested in carrying it,” Vanozzi said.
But after Monday’s resignations, political analyst Micah Rasmussen said it’s unclear how the program will change.
“We will see if there are other entities interested in providing service, but it won’t be the same. It won’t look the same,” Rasmussen said.
In this photo illustration, the PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen.
Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
He said there’s also no guarantee “NJ Spotlight News” will survive.
“From a strictly New Jersey news perspective, they were some of the most dogged reporters we have left in New Jersey, covering New Jersey government on a daily basis,” he said.
WNET said it’s welcoming any entity that wants to assume operation of NJ PBS.
“Across the board, we are seeing cuts”
NJ PBS was rebranded 14 years ago after former Gov. Chris Christie decided the state should not be in the public broadcasting business and stopped funding.
Sen. Andy Kim said he partly blames Mr. Trump after he signed the legislation impacting some 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations across the country.
“Across the board we’re seeing cuts, and, yes, that’s something that I have real concerns about,” Kim said.
Kim said he’s hoping to discuss it further with the next governor, Democrat Mikie Sherrill or Republican Jack Ciattarelli.
State Assemblywoman Aura Dunn is one of the lawmakers fighting for NJ PBS, where she worked on “Sesame Street” and for Fred Rogers.
While Dunn says other Republicans do not share her views, she said it’s not all Mr. Trump’s fault.
“There was a state investment. A state commitment to local public television that was cut by $750,000 this year, which was ultimately the nail in the coffin,” Dunn said.
Gov. Phil Murphy’s spokesperson said Democrats were the only ones providing state-level funding to public television since the 1990s, including $4.25 million under his administration.
“Every responsible budget, including this one, requires hard decisions,” Murphy said in his budget address.