Budget proposal would cut New Jersey Network

New Jersey is getting out of the television business. In one terse sentence buried deep in the 148-page budget plan, Gov. Chris Christie signaled his intention to sever ties with the New Jersey Network, eliminating its $11 million annual state subsidy and paving the way for its independence.

The idea isn't new. In 1994, Gov. Christie Whitman called for NJN's demise when she famously remarked that "government ownership of the media went out with Pravda." Network officials proposed a similar idea two years ago but failed to get the backing of Gov. Jon Corzine or members of the Legislature. A similar plan is being floated in Virginia, where newly elected Gov. Bob McDonnell has proposed cutting state funding for public television and radio by 2012. Christie's proposal raises a host of questions about the viability of NJN, one of the largest statewide public broadcasting networks in the country. Can NJN, founded in 1969, survive on its own, and would its Jersey-centric mission change if it changed from a state- to community-licensed broadcaster? And if it can't survive — or if its programming is sharply curtailed — will anyone notice?