WNET will not renew operating agreement with state government for NJ PBS
The WNET Group in New York will not renew its agreement with New Jersey’s government to continue managing NJ PBS beyond fiscal year 2026.
WNET has been unable to reach an agreement with the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority in the wake of “very significant” state and federal funding cuts, NJ PBS said Tuesday in an emailed statement to Current. The current agreement expires June 30, 2026.
WNET will continue to produce the nightly newscast NJ Spotlight News for its flagship channel Thirteen beyond the end of the fiscal year. The show will also be available on WNET’s digital platforms.
“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,” NJ PBS said in the statement.
Spokespeople for the WNET Group did not respond to a request for comment.
The WNET Group entered an agreement with the state of New Jersey in 2011 to operate NJ PBS, then the New Jersey Network, after former Gov. Chris Christie and the state legislature decided to stop managing the network due to budget issues and concerns about conflicts of interest. WNET acquired NJ Spotlight News in 2019.
NJ Spotlight News and NJ PBS have roughly 45 employees, according to their websites. Last year, the WNET Group laid off employees and restructured staff, affecting 34 positions. NJ PBS laid off an additional seven NJ Spotlight News employees in March and more employees in August following cuts to state and federal funding.
The layoffs this summer followed the vote in Congress to rescind fiscal year 2026 and 2027 federal funding to CPB. NJ PBS received approximately $1.69 million in FY24 from CPB, about 15% of its total revenue.
In addition, the FY26 state budget signed by Gov. Phil Murphy June 30 reduced funding for NJ PBS to $250,000, down from $1 million the previous year. According to NJ PBS’ FY24 990 form, the most recent available, the station had a $56,000 deficit and brought in nearly $11.5 million in revenue.
In its statement to Current, NJ PBS said, “We have been proud to serve the state of New Jersey with content that inspires, educates and informs. And we are deeply grateful to the NJ PBS Board of Trustees, the state of New Jersey, the NJPBA and, most importantly, the members and viewers who have supported NJ PBS for so many years. We remain a willing partner to collaborate, and we will continue to serve the New Jersey community on THIRTEEN and our digital platforms.”
