Fundraising change won’t affect NJTV, says spokeswoman

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Board members of Public Media NJ Inc., the nonprofit company that manages NJTV, today passed a resolution to merge with the public broadcasting station’s other fundraising arm, the Foundation for New Jersey Public Broadcasting, a spokeswoman at parent company WNET said.

Board members of Public Media NJ Inc., the nonprofit company that manages NJTV, today passed a resolution to merge with the public broadcasting station’s other fundraising arm, the Foundation for New Jersey Public Broadcasting, a spokeswoman at parent company WNET said.

According to spokeswoman Kelli Specter, only two administrative positions at PMNJ will be eliminated. Steve Priolo, president of the Foundation for New Jersey Public Broadcasting, will become a New Jersey-based employee of WNET, in New York, as an underwriter for NJTV, and “On The Record” host Michael Aron will become an employee of PMNJ, Specter said. No other changes in staff will be implemented, and current offices will be maintained, she said.

Specter said PMNJ and WNET do not foresee any impact from the consolidation on the public broadcasting operations’ funding formula.

“We’ve done an amazing job getting a lot of funding and sponsorships for NJTV,” Specter said. “This merger allows us to be more effective in it.”

Specter said the time frame for the consolidation still needs to be worked out, but noted it’s “going to take some time, since we’re absorbing all of their assets.”