Yes, you can defund government programs

Channel Change: NJN Signs Off Forever

State-owned television network New Jersey Network will permanently go dark Friday, after more than a year’s fight against Gov. Chris Christie and the N.J. Senate’s decision to get out of the television business.

At midnight on Friday NJN will turn into NJTV, controlled by WNET, a New York television station. WHYY will also have control of five of NJN’s radio transmitters, reports WHYY's Newsworks.org.

Christie decided a year ago that state funds should not be used to run a television station, which has been reporting news to the area for the past 40 years. The New Jersey Assembly rejected the proposal, but the state senate let the resolution to privatize NJN go through.

"He's bombastic, articulate, refreshing," Michael Aron, NJN news director told Newsworks. "I've covered nine governors, and he's the best talker. He's a gifted politician. That doesn't mean I agree with what he's done--particularly with public broadcasting in New Jersey, but I have to give him his due."

Under the deal with New Jersey, WNET will broadcast 20 hours a week of New Jersey-centric programming.

Many fear that with the loss of NJN’s hyper-local news coverage of the state of New Jersey, New Jerseyans will now have to depend on out-of-state news organizations to cover their state.

"As Benjamin Franklin said, we're a barrel tapped at both ends: Philadelphia and New York," NJN producer Michael Curtis told Newsworks. "No one tells the New Jersey story. We cover only New Jersey and why it's important. We're the information source for 8 million people. Now that story's gone."

NJN's news reports specialized in covering the state government. In its final weeks, the network was confronted with reporting its own demise.

Most of the station's 120 employees will retire or face layoffs.