I must confess the situation at NJN continues to both frighten and fascinate me. On the one hand, I feel like I am in an episode of “Tyler Perry Presents: The End of My Career,” on the other hand the Reporter in me is riveted by what might happen next.
With funding due to run dry here by the first of the year, our Stockton Street Headquarters is fast becoming a morbid place to work. We have heard very little about what the plan is for this place. The Legislature jointly owns the licenses with the Executive Branch giving them equal say over how to proceed. As I have noted numerous times, that is not a system I am particularly comfortable with, but one whose rules I must obey.
Here is where we are. Contingency plans are being made to wind this place down. We have heard from both branches that no one wants to see this place “go dark.” Well, that doesn’t mean keep us around exactly either. People here have been told to pull “evergreen” shows. That means shows that are not timely and could conceivably run on a loop should we all be laid off and two or three people remain employed here to run tapes of re-runs just to keep a presence on the air.
I really wonder if the elite political class who run this state would allow the latter scenario to transpire. NJN has covered that group with intense determination and most importantly – deep respect – for almost forty years. The process of high impact decision making for New Jersey and governing this State is the people’s business and it deserves the level of coverage NJN has always provided.
The decision makers over those years have been captured in the NJN video archives. And starting this week, we have begun reaching into the vault to air some of that footage that you will literally not find anywhere else.
NJN’s old archive tapes are located at a warehouse in West Trenton. NJN News Managing Editor and Anchor Jim Hooker has been making trips there to pull some of this historic video and film. NJN of course has been capturing New Jersey history all of these years, and that archive ( which belongs to the people btw ) is a treasure that should not be overlooked, no matter what our fate.
We will be airing nightly segments on our evening newscast through the month of December. Check it out.
Zachary, hang in there. My family has watched NJN News for many years. We prefer it to the loud, “if it bleeds it leads” infotainment the NYC stations. run
I have many fun and pointed memories of arguing with Michael Aron in my former line of work.
What is the mood of NJN today? Are there any economic benefactors out there, willing to keep the network afloat? $11 million isn’t that much, in the course of things.