Nine State of New Jersey-owned non-commercial FMs are going on the auction block

[amfmsw]

1. Christie a tea bagger hack? He's doing exactly what the majority of the electorate voted for. We may disagree on the roads taken, but I think if you are a NJ resident, you know these things had to be done by someone.

2. Yes, featherbedding...a great explaintion. And it's not just the expense of the electric bills, engineering, tower maintenance/rent, employee grounds maintenance and security for each site. EACH site is off the county and local municipal taxroll, raising every other homeowner's rate.

3. Radio-Locator: WNJO Manahawkin is listed as "Good Times Great Oldies". Which State employee is saying "that's not MY job" to fix.

 

[TheBigA]

1. Christie a tea bagger hack? He's doing exactly what the majority of the electorate voted for. We may disagree on the roads taken, but I think if you are a NJ resident, you know these things had to be done by someone.

Absolutely. They like it IN PRINCIPLE. Just like they want to cut government funded health programs. Just don't touch my Medicare.

In my humble view, had the NJPBA simply acted as a funding agency designed to promote public broadcasting in the state, rather than as a centralized operational agency that owned and staffed the stations, we wouldn't be in this place now. And the NJPBA is a microcosm for all the problems that exist in the state college and university system. All of the things that killed NJPBA will soon come home to roost at the colleges and universities. Which is why the idea of transfering these radio stations to Stockton State or some other state college is delaying the inevitable.

 

[bigtom101]

It would be great if an organization like the one that took over WNYC AM/FM could buy out the state, and at least keep it somewhat local. Or given the depressed prices for radio properties, donate them to colleges, universities, high schools, etc that could use them for educational purposes.

Hell, sell WHYY the ones in Southern Jersey, and WNYC the ones in Northern Jersey - that would help cover the state. Or if WNYC was so inclined, put WQXR on the Sussex, Toms River, Netcong, and Trenton signals and create a nice classical network to augment 105.9's horrible signal.

Given the fact that Atlantic is in bankruptcy...I doub't these stations could pull in much coin at the auction block given the economy.

 

[TheBigA]

It would be great if an organization like the one that took over WNYC AM/FM could buy out the state, and at least keep it somewhat local.

There is, as I've said before. It's called the NJN Foundation and it's chaired by Dean Paranicus. They have a lot of powerful people on their Board of Directors, and it's likely that the state will turn over the operation of the 4 TV stations to them. The thing that kills these 9 radio stations is that they simply have no measurable audience, thus no motivation for anyone to take on their expense. They've been run by an absentee landlord, who's now looking to run away. Lots of properties in Camden are suffering from the same thing. Selling them to WHYY or WNYC kills any chance of them programming any local content. They will simply act as satellites of the main stations. What purpose does that serve New Jersey?

 

[MickeyD]

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That may mean that the current news and talk format's will disappear, and the original mandate of using the frequencies to provide listeners with New Jersey news may no longer mean anything.

What do you think? The state is in no position to make demands of new owners. The signals are dogs. It was a mistake for NJPB to start them in the first place. They should have focused on TV.

There are lots of minorities and community folks who'd love to have actual radio licenses, but they don't have the money. I've seen people complain about the lack of LPFM frequencies in NJ. Here's a chance to do better. But in Manahawkin? Who wants to broadcast there?

Good idea to hold on to the TV licenses, because anyone else would not follow the NJ mandate either.

I agree hold on to the TV licenses until the Feds want to buy them, I mean take them. They are waterfront property.

 

[MickeyD]

The Manahawkin station could be great for Jersey Shore Shuffle.

I wish they could mandate that the current NJN frequencies must go to local owners who live in the county they are located. Yes, even a local church could own a station and program a religious format. It would be best for a community group to own a station and provide as much local and state news as possible: live broadcasts of town meetings, appearances at local events, high school sports, etc.

Let them sit on the market for a few months. We are talking about non-comms here and if federal funding dries up what will they really be worth? Get a group together and throw a bid out there what can they say no?

 

[MickeyD]

Soo all that crap about "Jersey-Centric" programming was all just BS!!Such shame to sell of a grand old lady like NJN Radio. They would be better off to just give to Stockton College's affiliated services.

I cannot blame the State for not wanting any New Jersey State employees to operate any of it.

All this coming to The Richard Stockton College was my idea. I have the original email. Dr. Saatkamp thought it was a wonderful idea. After that Dr. Saatkamp went into action. He is a icon on how "make it better" and correct what is wrong. Creating a better way.

So the radio will be sold for a song. Such a shame. Non of that cash will be put in a escrow account for the owner's of the TV. Like Stockton College requested.

Think of fit Atlantic, Millennium, Costal...all can be bought in part or whole for $100 of the $1,000.

I wonder what will happen to the TV end of it all.

As I told a close dear friend who works now for NJN TV. When the Governor makes up his mind, he never changes his mind. "If it's hemergering cash he is going to rid of it."

I often wonder if were all sitting here in NJ going without while Gov. Christie positions him self to run for president? Even in the radio business.

Is the answer keep spending until we are bankrupt? Fifty-nine BILLION in debt is no joke.

 

[MickeyD]

The governor of NJ is a tea bagger and a political hack. Not that the latter is unusual in New Jersey, a state with a history of political stupidity and corruption. This guy hasn't shown much concern for saving taxpayer dollars when it involves his own expense account.

O.K. Let's deviate from radio for just a minute: Are you saying there is money available to build the tunnel and there is money available to pay the pensions promised to state workers and there is adequate money to keep the schools operating and he doesn't need to make any of the draconian cuts he is talking about.

The governor of NJ is a tea bagger and a political hack.

And that makes him different from what many of us are enduring across the nation... how?

In defense of the "logic for priority" I spewed out earlier: let's assume NJ does have funds that are more adequate than the governor says are available, is the fight for all the other things I mentioned only equal to or secondary to the importance of keeping public radio owned by the state functioning? I still think schools and feeding hungry babies and paying pensions promised and building tunnels or whatever will help the long term economy of the state may be more worthy of causing people to "foam at the mouth" than the destiny of a few non-commercial radio stations.

You are correct. The public trough is empty.

 

[[email protected]]

As much as I love, eat, sleep & breath radio....I as a property owner and taxpayer wanted
to pay state workers and hall walkers to play radio and TV any more. Just the words
"NON-PROFIT" right now just makes any potential owner quake in their boots. Whoever ends up?
With the "Old NJN Radio" is not going to the public to give unless they get something
Good for their money. NPR is a very sellable popular radio network. The people like giving
To it. There is so much religion in the area now, all the way from really old thinking, old hymnal
tunes to young christian programming.

Whoever ends up with the freq.'s will have to put on quite a show to get the people
to give the cash they will need to keep it going. I don't understand with all the commercial radio
forsale right now, cheap, why buy something call "A NOT FOR PROFIT RADIO STATION"?

These stations will be for sale again a year from now, mark my words.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

These stations will be for sale again a year from now, mark my words.

In the last 50 years the FCC has loosened up a lot in what they will allow in transfer of license ownership in commercial stations. There was a time that when you bought a radio station, don't even think about "flipping" it in anything less than three years.

So that raises the question: Are there unique rules for NCE on this topic? Is there is recent track record? What will be the FCC attitude if you show up on their doorstep after operating and not-for-profit station for only one year and asking permission for transfer of license?

In the old era, the philosophy was: We don't license you to buy and sell stations.... we license you to OPERATE stations.

And from within the industry and interested parties, who would show up at the FCC door with protests, petitions and assorted unsolicited advice and political pressures over rapid ownership change.

Isn't the FCC still sitting on a lot of un-processed translator applications from a few years ago when they got a surprise in the large volume of Construction Permit applications from "not-for-profits" each wanting hundreds of grants. I think there is a battle-royal simmering in the FCC. It could affect how the NJ licenses are disposed of.

 

[fichteradio]

The last thing we need in Cape May County is more religious stations in the non-profit FM band. There are at least 5 "Christian" stations on the air. We are too far away from Philly and the Salisbury, Maryland signal is subject to weather and atmospheric conditions. We have a low power FM in Cape May, 101.5 run by the Center for Community Arts but they have neither the resources or staff to run an NPR operation.

 

[JerseyShor]

Similar case here in Ocean County.

The only NPR stations that come in reliably are WNJM/89.9 and WNJN/89.7.

The only other NPR stations I can pick up here is WHYY/90.1 and WNYC-AM. WHYY isn't very strong and WNYC-AM only comes in during the daytime - and even then it's not very strong.

 

[MickeyD]

The last thing we need in Cape May County is more religious stations in the non-profit FM band. There are at least 5 "Christian" stations on the air. We are too far away from Philly and the Salisbury, Maryland signal is subject to weather and atmospheric conditions. We have a low power FM in Cape May, 101.5 run by the Center for Community Arts but they have neither the resources or staff to run an NPR operation.

I guess the question I would ask is where are they getting their funding? If it is from the listeners than they are doing something right. Personally can't stand the stuff myself but if other like it and support it so be it.

 

[nd2023]

3. Radio-Locator: WNJO Manahawkin is listed as "Good Times Great Oldies". Which State employee is saying "that's not MY job" to fix.

That's Radio-Locator's fault, not NJN's fault. WNJO used to be an oldies station on 94.5. Matter of fact, it would be great if the guy who runs the wnjofm.com stream buys WNJO and bring oldies back to WNJO-FM.

 

[bigtom101]

3. Radio-Locator: WNJO Manahawkin is listed as "Good Times Great Oldies". Which State employee is saying "that's not MY job" to fix.

That's Radio-Locator's fault, not NJN's fault. WNJO used to be an oldies station on 94.5. Matter of fact, it would be great if the guy who runs the wnjofm.com stream buys WNJO and bring oldies back to WNJO-FM.

I would, but I haven't found the winning lotto ticket to put WNJOFM.COM on 90.3 yet..