NJTV, successor to NJN, airs first live newscast and election coverage

For the first time, NJTV, the new incarnation of the New Jersey Network, presented a live newscast on Monday (Nov. 7) and also aired live election coverage Tuesday, reports The Associated Press. NJTV general Manager John Servidio said the station has "done the best we can with what we have" and broke into programming to run live several times in the past month, including coverage of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's endorsement of 2012 GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and during the October snowstorm. "I think if you look at the first show we aired on July 1 until now, you'll see a pretty big curve of growth," Servidio said. Election night coverage included live feeds from Democratic and GOP headquarters in Atlantic City and Bergen counties, along with other field reports and panels of pundits in the studio. "I think we'll be able to compete with any local station out there in terms of our coverage," Servidio said.

KCET, Eyetronics unveil first five original series on Southern California

KCET in Los Angeles, the largest independent pubTV station in the country, has revealed the initial lineup of its new original series produced with a $50 million investment from Eyetronics Media & Studios in Encino, Calif. (Current, Aug. 16). All five shows, highlighting life in Southern California, are available for distribution both domestically and internationally.

The programs are Ocean Alive with host Jean-Michel Cousteau, in a program that "combines the beauty of Southern California and the glamour of Hollywood with the powerful message of conservation"; Department of State, a public affairs show with a rotating group of global media correspondents; California Game Changers, profiling innovative industries, inventors and their products; Classic Cool Theatre, which draws on Eyetronics' large library of vintage Hollywood films, beginning with the 1945 film noir classic Detour; and
Retrostory, using Eyetronics' library of historic newsreels for a bi-weekly documentary on social phenomena, influential political and entertainment figures and revolutionary technical advancements of the 1900s.