NJTV and Montclair State University Announce Studio Partnership

November 16, 2011— NJTV, New Jersey’s public television network, and Montclair State University announced today a partnership that gives a new Garden State home to the broadcast network’s NJ Today news program.

NJTV will begin broadcasting its nightly news program, NJ Today, from the University’s DuMont Television Center before the calendar year’s end. In addition, the University will serve as the headquarters for the network’s news division, including broadcast studio space as well as production facilities and office space.

“Upon NJTV’s launch in July, we immediately set out to find a great New Jersey-based production home base for the network,” said Neal Shapiro, President and CEO of WNET/Chairman of Public Media New Jersey. “We sought a facility that had the technical capabilities to handle a daily news broadcast while being a place rich in creative resources. Knowing that public television will be integrated into an academic environment like Montclair State University simply feels right.”

“The University is pleased to provide a New Jersey-based home for NJTV’s news operation, helping to ensure that New Jersey continues to have an independent broadcast voice,” said Susan A. Cole, President of Montclair State University. “This relationship provides tremendous value to our academic programs in broadcasting, media and communications, providing students with hands-on learning within a professional setting. The partnership with NJTV is intended to build a substantial and mutually beneficial long-term collaboration that will enhance New Jersey’s media landscape.”

“A major part of public television’s mission is education and community outreach. What better way to prepare the next generation of broadcasters and producers than with a hands-on role in NJ Today’s production?” said NJTV General Manager John Servidio. “It’s a symbiotic relationship from which both the students and our program will grow.”

NJTV has already begun to recruit student interns to begin working on various aspects of NJ Today’s production next semester, from lighting and camera operation to make-up and stage management.  The University recently completed a major technology upgrade in its DuMont Television Center which will enable the growing NJ Today team and students to work with state-of-the-art, high-definition production equipment.

In addition, a new set has been designed expressly for NJ Today by scenic designer Ronald Baldwin, who has designed sets for national networks including CNN, CNBC, PBS and the Food Network, among others. This highly technical production studio along with NJ Today’s growing news team will serve as the basis for building a vibrant public media future for New Jersey.
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ABOUT NJTV

Now in its 20th week on the air, NJTV brings quality public television programs and resources to communities throughout New Jersey and its Tri-state neighbors. NJTV’s broadcast schedule combines acclaimed national PBS series like American Masters, Nature, Charlie Rose, and BBC World News America with an array of state-focused news, arts and public affairs shows, including One-on-One with Steve Adubato, Perspectives, Caucus New Jersey, Due Process and State of the Arts. The station’s week-nightly news broadcast, NJ Today, features stories from across the Garden State. NJTV complements its growing news staff by partnering with state-wide media and higher education institutions. The network actively solicits viewer news tips, story ideas and feedback, along with locally-produced film shorts and long-form documentaries, making New Jerseyans part of the network’s editorial team. The network’s website, www.njtvonline.org posts the latest local news, information and program schedules, and its NJ Learns section offers local educators free, classroom-ready, digital resources through VITAL NJ.

NJTV is comprised of WNJN, WNJS, WNJB, and WNJT, which collectively broadcast throughout NJ. Formerly New Jersey Network (NJN), NJTV is operated under an agreement with the state of New Jersey by Public Media NJ, Inc. (PMNJ), a non-profit affiliate of WNET, parent company of award-winning New York public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21. Station sponsorships and partnerships are available.

ABOUT MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY

Montclair State University offers a comprehensive array of undergraduate and graduate programs to a highly diverse population of 18,500 students in an expansive university setting combined with an intensive focus on student learning and success. For more information, visit montclair.edu.

ABOUT THE DUMONT TELEVISION CENTER


The DuMont Television Center has been a center of excellence at Montclair State since it was established in 1952 by Allen B. DuMont, and where it pioneered the first initiatives in educational television. The DuMont Television Center serves as an instructional laboratory for the University’s established and highly regarded programs in broadcasting, media, and communications.  The Center is a fully equipped, highly sophisticated state-of-the-art facility providing the latest in high-definition broadcast and production equipment and capability.

Press contacts:

Debra Falk, NJTV, 212-560-3006 or falkd@thirteen.org

Diane Reed, Montclair State University, 973-655-4334, or reeddi@montclair.edu