Producing for NJN

A Note from Elizabeth G. Christopherson NJN Executive Director and CEO

Hello and welcome to NJN's Web site for producers. As New Jersey's public broadcasting network, we are committed to using our airwaves as a public forum to present programs for and about the people of New Jersey. In that spirit, we welcome the opportunity to review the work of independent producers, and offer the following guidelines to the kinds of programs that NJN would consider broadcasting to advance its mission.

In 1969, the State Legislature and Governor recognized the need for New Jersey to have its own broadcast network that could unite the people of New Jersey and meet their informational, cultural and educational needs, and passed the Public Broadcasting Act, which created NJN to provide programs for and about the people of New Jersey. On April 4, 1971, NJN Public Television first went on the air. Since that time, NJN has served hundreds of thousands of children and adults each day with programs and services that teach, inform, and inspire our citizens to lead better lives and build healthy communities. We have dedicated our resources to community building and collaborative partnerships that create access to lifelong learning and empowerment.

NJN is one of the leading producers of local programming in the PBS system. Our weekly broadcast schedule features local, New Jersey-oriented productions, such as NJN News; On the Record; Reporters Roundtable with Michael Aron; State of the Arts; Classroom Close-Up, NJ; Another View, Images/Imagenes; New Jersey Works; and Due Process. Throughout the year, we also produce special documentaries on the arts, the environment, history and public affairs issues, and more. The weekly series and special productions have earned NJN many accolades, including more than 150 regional Emmy Award nominations from the New York and Mid-Atlantic chapters of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences since 1995. NJN also broadcasts PBS favorites such as Nature, Nova, This Old House and Sesame Street, as well as public television programming from other sources and an extensive daily schedule of children's programming.

Over the years, NJN has continued to take advantage of new technologies to expand its programs and services and use the power of its reach in the public interest. NJN has expanded its online presence and now makes its local programs that are broadcast on NJN Public Television available online at www.njn.net.

NJN also has taken a leadership role in the digital conversion. We plan to use the expanded digital spectrum to usher in even more local, noncommercial services that promote greater public discourse and civic involvement, support lifelong learning, and provide a forum for diverse voices that reflect New Jersey's rich cultural heritage. The conversion to digital television (DTV) will enlarge, deepen and intensify NJN's educational programs and services and provide unprecedented opportunities for interactive learning, workforce development, civic participation, and culture. As we enter the digital era, NJN looks forward to strengthening its partnerships and forming new alliances with other public service institutions to create a new generation of services that touch and transform lives. We are pleased that you are interested in working with NJN to provide high quality programs and services that meet our communities' needs and interests, and invite you to submit your ideas and programs for our thoughtful review.

Elizabeth G. Christopherson