NJTV Goes Live 3 Months After NJN Goes Dark

For the first time in 40 years, New Jersey Network won't be covering a statewide election.

More than three months after the state-owned public television network went off the air, its replacement, NJTV, began broadcasting its first live newscast on Monday and planned special election coverage Tuesday night in a year in which the entire Legislature is up for election.

WNET-TV, New York's largest PBS broadcasting station, took over operations from NJN in July after Gov. Chris Christie decided to close the network, saying the state should not and cannot afford to be in the broadcasting business.

NJN went on the air in 1971 with the purpose of providing New Jersey-specific programming for viewers living between the major New York City and Philadelphia markets, which often overlooked local issues.

As part of the takeover deal, WNET promised 20 hours a week of New Jersey-centric broadcasting, but WNET executives said live coverage wouldn't start until the fall.

Still, some lawmakers criticized the slow start, noting that while major networks were covering Hurricane Irene and Christie's much anticipated announcement that he wouldn't run for president -- a line of reporters stretched nearly out the Statehouse doors -- NJTV aired cartoons and didn't break in with live updates.

"I hope they do better than their hurricane performance," said Democratic Assemblyman John Burzichelli.

NJTV general manager John Servidio said the station has "done the best we can with what we have," and broke into programming to bring live coverage a couple of times in the past month, including coverage of Christie's endorsement of 2012 GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and during the October snow storm.

"I think if you look at the first show we aired on July 1 until now, you'll see a pretty big curve of growth," Servidio said. Planned election night coverage on Tuesday included live feeds from Democratic and GOP headquarters at the two most hotly contested Legislative races, Atlantic City and Bergen Counties, along with roving news crews.

"I think we'll be able to compete with any local station out there in terms of our coverage," Servidio said.

NJN's nightly newscast attracted about 20,000 viewers. Near the end, the station had 120 people to handle programming. There are seven full-time staff at NJTV, but the station said 80 were brought on to help with election coverage. Plans are in the works to hire more staff, Servidio said, and to build a studio in the Statehouse and at another undetermined facility. No timetable was provided for either.

In addition to live broadcasts, NJN's popular political shows "On The Record" and "Reporters Roundtable" led by former NJN news director Michael Aron will return in December, with Aron at the helm.