• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

NJ Gov't proposes to spin off NJN - implications for NYC OTA?

S

stationless listener

http://www.courierpostonline.com/ar...akers-offered-plan-to-spin-off-broadcast-unit

I'm not going to get into the politics of this. However, what would be the implications for OTA for NYC should this come to pass? Parts of New Jersey can receive WNET and WHYY, depending on location. WNET's license is in Newark. What would happen if WNET.org, for example, would take control of one or two NJN stations and operate them how they liked? This might set up a couple of interesting scenarios where a couple of stations not based in New Jersey could benefit:

- WNET or a non-profit organization gets control of WNJN and WNJB. If it's Thirteen, they might shut down one of the two and transfer its WNET Newark license to either WNJN/WNJB.

Then,

- WNET might take over one of the RF frequencies from either WNJN or WNJB. I'm thinking that RF 51 could be taken by WNET in order for them to get away from VHF. The RF 13 could be exchanged with a station south and west of NY for an UHF signal for the NJ station they get to control. One of the NJN stations goes off the air.

Or,

- WNET makes a frequency swap with WCBS. WCBS gets RF 51 while either WNJN or WNJB gets RF 33. WFSB in Hartford immediately benefits as the NYC RF 33 would go further away from them. A further step would have the RF 33 or RF 51 signals exchanged with WNJT for the RF 43 signal.

The result: WNJT saves money by exchanging RF 43 with RF 33. WCBS gets a signal that takes away the interference issue with WFSB. Long Islanders would be more likely to receive WCBS. WNET could end up with either RF 33, RF 43 or RF 51, which they can use either for themselves or would remain with one NJ station they would control. The RF 8 signal could move into the city, exchanged with WTNH for RF 10 or go silent. One of the two northern New Jersey NJN stations is redundant, anyway. WNJT could better serve north-central New Jersey with digital signal and increased power.
 
Governor Corruption is going to sell the stations off to his religious friends, so it won't have much of an effect on New York at all.
 
So to save $2 million a year, they're going to give up 4 TV stations and a group of radio stations? That seems kind of penny-wise to me.

Certainly the additional $7 million, which is probably pensions for retirees, is a bigger number, but if it is pensions and some property use, it would probably stay on the state's ledgers.

Looking at the numbers, this is really something that a consortium of private colleges and other non-profits could consider.
 
I could see a large New Jersey university owning NJN's assets.
 
ShawnHill1 said:
DToTheJ said:
I could see a large New Jersey university owning NJN's assets.
Click to expand...

Rutgers?
Click to expand...

Rutgers gets it's money from the same place as NJN. So that wouldn't help the state get rid of the cost. It has to be a private insitution, or some organization not directly funded by the state.
 
Pab Sungenis said:
Governor Corruption is going to sell the stations off to his religious friends, so it won't have much of an effect on New York at all.
Click to expand...

Excuse me? Corruption is what he used to fight as a Fed. Gov. Christie is Catholic so, the Church is going to buy them? He campaigned and is actually doing what he said he was going to do and the blue state of NJ elected him. It would be nice if WHYY and WNET could each buy 1/2 of it and operate it together, keep it one network Or have one of the 2 stations buy it. Transfer the operations to either Philly or Newark to save money and keep NJN alive. Operate it the way WGBH operates WGBX in Boston.
 
Let's remember WNET 13 already has a cooperation agreement with WLIW 21 on Long Island. Each operates several subchannels...

13.1 WNET (signal from Empire State Building)
13.2 Kids 13 (PBS for young viewers)
13.3 V-Me (Public TV in Spanish)

21.1 WLIW (signal from a tower in Plainview L.I.)
21.2 PBS Create
22.2 PBS Explore

51.1 WNJN (signal from Montclair NJ) New Jersey Network
51.2 NJN 2

8.1 WNJB (signal from New Brunswick NJ) New Jersey Network
8.2 NJN 2

Most cable subscribers in the NYC area get all three channels: WNET, WLIW and WNJN/WNJB. Those with expanded or digital channel line ups get the subchannels as well. That's a lot of PBS choices.

I'm not sure in these economic times if any station on a VHF channel is working that hard to move to UHF. I'm sure WABC, WPIX and WNET all thought they were being smart by staying on their original VHF channel, since during analog days, VHF signals were superior to UHF signals. Now in the world of digital TV, we realize they are inferior. But with cable penetration so high, I think these stations will just live with the limited over-the-air VHF coverage for the time being.

The New Jersey Network was founded in the 80s because NYC and Philadelphia TV stations ignore all but the biggest NJ stories. They only send a video crew to Trenton a few times a year. So the idea was NJN would air a five-night-a-week 30 minute newscast just for New Jersey and also produce a number of New Jersey public affiars shows, to air along with programs from the PBS line up (but not the same schedule as WNET, the area's primary PBS affiliate).

It would be a shame for NJ viewers to lose local NJN programming. But in this atmosphere, taxpayers would rather cut than save a service like NJN. (Gov. Christie already cut aid to NJ Transit by a quarter.) WNET, licensed to Newark, is already committed to doing some NJ programming, sharing the cost of the weeknight NJ newscast with NJN. It would be a waste to just turn off the NJN transmitters because in some parts of NJ they supply PBS programming that may be hard to see if you don't have cable.

Would Gov. Christie sell the four NJN stations to a religious organization like Daystar for a few million dollars? Daystar bought one of Dallas' two PBS stations, since KERA could put alternate PBS programming on its subchannels and didn't need two full-fledged TV channels.


Gregg
[email protected]
 
>>No commercial broadcaster could purchase any of the NJN radio or TV licenses. They operate on reserved non-commercial frequencies.

Is WNJB "58" non-commercial? Back in the 1950s and 1960s, Channel 58 was WRTV/Eatontown, a commerical station. By the late 1960s, the station was dormant, but from what I've heard, as late as 1969 or 1970, the owners planned to be back on the air. Supposedly, some of the equipment was then used to start WBTB-TV/68 in Newark in the mid-70s. I'm wondering if WNJB is non-commerical, if NJN could get the FCC to revert it back to "commerical" status- similar to what happened in Buffalo and Pittsburgh where the Public Broadcasting entities tried to get their commerical allocations back to sell one of their duplicative frequencies. I think WNJS/23 in Camden was also a commerical allocation in the 1960s- call letters were issued, but never made it to the air. I wonder if Channel 23 could be sold in a similar manner.

Echoing what Gregg said, if the TV stations are sold non-commerically, would a religious broadcaster such as Daystar, TBN or Cornerstone TV be interested? The purchase of the NJN signals would give them a toehold to spread their brand of "religion" to Markets #1 and #4, although TBN operates full-powered stations in both "New York" (actually Poughkeepsie) WTBY and Philadelphia (WGTW).

-Mike
 
Gregg said:
Would Gov. Christie sell the four NJN stations to a religious organization like Daystar for a few million dollars?
Click to expand...

If you believe what he says, the answer is no. He has said he wants to continue service to NJ, but just get rid of the subsidy. They would not be saving that much money by selling it. That subsidy is the few million, not the actual value. It really depends what the legislature says, but if they actually sell it, it would be for more than a few million.
 
mdamico25 said:
Is WNJB "58" non-commercial? Back in the 1950s and 1960s, Channel 58 was WRTV/Eatontown, a commerical station. By the late 1960s, the station was dormant, but from what I've heard, as late as 1969 or 1970, the owners planned to be back on the air. Supposedly, some of the equipment was then used to start WBTB-TV/68 in Newark in the mid-70s. I'm wondering if WNJB is non-commerical, if NJN could get the FCC to revert it back to "commerical" status- similar to what happened in Buffalo and Pittsburgh where the Public Broadcasting entities tried to get their commerical allocations back to sell one of their duplicative frequencies. I think WNJS/23 in Camden was also a commerical allocation in the 1960s- call letters were issued, but never made it to the air. I wonder if Channel 23 could be sold in a similar manner.
Click to expand...

Yes, all four NJN allotments are currently reserved for non-commercial operation. (so is WFME's channel 29 (virtual 66) at West Milford)

See the Table of Allotments on http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2009/octqtr/47cfr73.622.htm.

It has not been particularly unusual for a former commercial assignment to be later reserved for non-commercial use.
 
Gregg said:
Let's remember WNET 13 already has a cooperation agreement with WLIW 21 on Long Island. Each operates several subchannels...

13.1 WNET (signal from Empire State Building)
13.2 Kids 13 (PBS for young viewers)
13.3 V-Me (Public TV in Spanish)

21.1 WLIW (signal from a tower in Plainview L.I.)
21.2 PBS Create
22.2 PBS Explore

51.1 WNJN (signal from Montclair NJ) New Jersey Network
51.2 NJN 2

8.1 WNJB (signal from New Brunswick NJ) New Jersey Network
8.2 NJN 2

Most cable subscribers in the NYC area get all three channels: WNET, WLIW and WNJN/WNJB. Those with expanded or digital channel line ups get the subchannels as well. That's a lot of PBS choices.
Click to expand...

One problem is that people in the city can't receive WLIW over the air. Yes, those stations and their subchannels are being made available on pay TV. However, with the recent news of people cord-cutting, some may want to receive PBS Create and PBS World over the air. Getting WNJB and moving the signal into the city solves that problem (not ideal, since it's still VHF, but better than no signal). Put Create and World on that station and shift all New Jersey-centered programming of the entire station group to that station. I mentioned on another thread that WABC could be convinced to go along with it by co-locating the RF 7 and RF 8 transmitters into one building, which could be 1 WTC once the place finally opens.

Btw, speaking of which, this article brings up that WNET.org is interested in the NJN stations: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/06/business/media/06pbs.html?_r=1
 
In one of the articles I read on this issue, one New Jersey politician expressed their concerns about WNET taking control of all or part of NJN. They cited WNET's failure to keep their commitment to Long Island-specific programming on WLIW after the 13/21 merger in 2003. I drive past WLIW's Plainview facility daily and, other than the engineers, I see no activity. Even the "L" on the roadside sign (they're on the L.I.E. North Service Road) is coming off and there seems to be no interest in repairing it.

Let's face it, Big Thirteen would probably drop NJN News if they could, and who knows what they would do if NJN closes. Would they produce a nightly New Jersey newscast on their own, out of their NYC studios? Probably not.

I think it would be best if a New Jersey-based entity gets the TV stations. Perhaps WBGO in Newark or Rutgers and/or Princeton universities would be a good match, and each could possibly afford to buy at least one of the licenses.

The NJN radio stations could also go to WBGO, as they already simulcast that station during overnight hours. But it should be anyone except a religious broadcaster disguised as a non-profit educational group (EMF, Salem, Family Radio, etc.)
 
Rollo-Smokes said:
I think it would be best if a New Jersey-based entity gets the TV stations. Perhaps WBGO in Newark or Rutgers and/or Princeton universities would be a good match, and each could possibly afford to buy at least one of the licenses.

The NJN radio stations could also go to WBGO, as they already simulcast that station during overnight hours. But it should be anyone except a religious broadcaster disguised as a non-profit educational group (EMF, Salem, Family Radio, etc.)
Click to expand...

Great idea. Where should the money comes from? WBGO has no money. Rutgers keeps getting its budget cut. There only people with money are the people you don't like.
 
TheBigA said:
Rollo-Smokes said:
I think it would be best if a New Jersey-based entity gets the TV stations. Perhaps WBGO in Newark or Rutgers and/or Princeton universities would be a good match, and each could possibly afford to buy at least one of the licenses.

The NJN radio stations could also go to WBGO, as they already simulcast that station during overnight hours. But it should be anyone except a religious broadcaster disguised as a non-profit educational group (EMF, Salem, Family Radio, etc.)
Click to expand...

Great idea. Where (does) the money comes from? WBGO has no money. Rutgers keeps getting its budget cut. (The) only people with money are the people you don't like.
Click to expand...

What has not been talked about is how much each of the TV licenses would be worth separately. Of course, that would be a deciding factor.

Perhaps WBGO could partner with other nonprofit organizations, and maybe with some help from a deep-pocketed donor or underwriter, and purchase the NJN radio stations or one of the TV outlets.

I forgot that Rutgers is a state-run institution. So if they were to receive some of NJN's properties, then NJN would essentially be transferred to another state entity.

And, yes, I despise religious broadcasters for one main reason: Most of them aren't local and do nothing to support the local faith community. Personally, I think the majority of them are scam artists who exploit religion and its adherents for their own personal gain. But that is another story.
 
Rollo-Smokes said:
Perhaps WBGO could partner with other nonprofit organizations, and maybe with some help from a deep-pocketed donor or underwriter, and purchase the NJN radio stations or one of the TV outlets.
Click to expand...

All their attention is on raising $4 million to move their antenna to Manhattan. They just got a donation from Prudential for that project. Any money they can get will go to improving the new antenna. Their current signal covers all of Northeast NJ, and the NJN stations mainly reach the less populated southern portion of the state. No value for them to reach that audience. The jazz audience is in the north. Unless the state simply donates those licenses to WBGO, there's nothing in it for them.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom