New Jersey PBS to shut down next July. Massive funding cuts drive move

<div><div><img src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/11/07/PAPP/032802a5-8f7f-4012-9…; alt="032802a5-8f7f-4012-98ed-0e812ed89814-BAT"><div><img src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/appservices/universal-web/universal/icons/i…; alt="play"></div></div><div><div></div><div><div>U.S.S. New Jersey is America's most decorated battleship: Video</div><div>No other battleship in the United States Navy served longer and in more battles than the New Jersey.</div></div></div></div><ul><li>It's unclear what will become of the state's seven broadcasting licenses, which WNET has managed sine 2011</li><li>State funding for NJ PBS was also slashed by 75% in the New Jersey state budget down to $250,000.</li></ul><p>TRENTON - New Jersey PBS will shut down next summer after the network's parent company couldn't reach a deal with the state amid massive funding cuts to public media.</p><p>NJ PBS will cease operations as of July 1, 2026, after its parent company, WNET, was unable to reach an agreement with the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority to continue operating the network, NJ PBS spokeswoman Debra Falk said in a Sept. 23 statement.</p><p>"The recent cuts by the federal government and New Jersey state government have been very significant. Regrettably, WNET has been unable to reach an agreement with the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority to extend the management of New Jersey’s public television network beyond the expiration date of June 30, 2026," Falk said. "We have been proud to serve the state of New Jersey with content that inspires, educates and informs."</p><p>After that expiration date, the channel's New Jersey newscast will be produced and aired on THIRTEEN, the longtime PBS network on channel 13 in most New Jersey homes.</p><p>It's unclear what will become of the state's seven broadcasting licenses, which WNET has managed sine 2011. The New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority is an arm of the Treasury Department, and a treasury spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment.</p><p>"WNET is committed to supporting the state through this transition and looks forward to collaborating with New Jersey–based institutions interested in operating a public television network," Falk said.</p><p><a href="https://newjerseyglobe.com/media/new-jersey-pbs-shutting-down-in-july/"… New Jersey Globe first reported</a> the news of NJ PBS's closure.</p><p>NJ PBS and WNET have been embattled amid funding cuts brought on by both the state and federal budgets. The federal budget bill cut billions in public media funding, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/01/corporation-for… $1.1 million for the Corporation in Public Broadcasting</a>, which announced plans to shut down.</p><p>But state funding for NJ PBS was also slashed by 75% in the New Jersey state budget, which <a href="https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/columnists/charles-stile/2025/08… funding for NJ PBS</a> from $1 million to $250,000. That funding had only been in place since 2021.</p><p>In addition to programming featured on Thirteen and other PBS stations, NJ PBS also broadcasts NJ Spotlight News, itself a merger between the online publication New Jersey Spotlight and NJTV's news operations.</p><p><a href="https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/business/2025/08/14/nj-pbs-cut-s… Spotlight News faced layoffs in August </a>amid what WNET CEO Neal Shapiro called "a financial situation that requires us to make painful decisions to reduce the size of the NJ Spotlight News team."</p><p>From 1968 until 2011, the state funded New Jersey Network, or NJN, a public television and radio network funded through the annual budget. But in 2011, Gov. Chris Christie announced a deal by which the state Public Broadcasting Authority would retain the broadcasting licenses but a new nonprofit spun-off by WNET would operate the network, soon re-branded as NJTV.</p><p>That nonprofit has largely operated at a loss since 2019, including a $1.4 million loss in 2023 and a $56,165 deficit in 2024.</p><p><em>Mike Davis is an investigative reporter with the Asbury Park Press, where he's covered local news, politics, transportation and the cannabis industry. His work has changed laws, prompted government investigations and even won a few awards, which make his parents very proud. Contact him at <a href="mailto:mdavis@app.com">mdavis@app.com</a&gt;, <a href="https://x.com/bymikedavis">@byMikeDavis</a&gt; on social media platforms or send an encrypted message via <a href="http://signal.me/#eu/HJlUttmAew_RxuaavYuCbafRLO-uk0qY2L1jWyXPZZ5dMpT9Gj… @bymikedavis.22.</a></em></p>