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Jan 13, 2012

N.J. legislators demand overhaul of NJTV network

Two New Jersey Assemblymen who had attempted to stop the sale of the state’s public broadcasting rights to WNET are now calling for an overhaul of the NJTV network, reports NJ.com, saying it fails to provide residents with state news coverage. Patrick Diegnan Jr. and John Burzichelli gave examples: When the governor was announcing his presidential plans, the network aired Angelina Ballerina; and during coverage of the death of an elder statesman in the Assembly, it ran Thomas the Train. “Given the gravity of the situation, NJTV has become the ultimate ‘Jersey Joke,'" Diegnan said.

UPDATE: NJTV issued a statement, saying in part that "upon the death of Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, the network made the editorial decision to cover the day's eulogy remarks as breaking news. NJTV aired a one-hour live broadcast from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. anchored by NJ Today's Managing Editor Mike Schneider, and included eulogy remarks from legislators and the governor. Chief Political Correspondent Michael Aron was present in the Assembly chamber, covering reaction to the Minority Leader's death." NJTV also dedicated its entire evening broadcast of NJ Today to the day's events in Trenton, which can be viewed online

Possible KCSM-TV buyers include pubcasters, entrepreneurs, Daystar

Potential bidders for pubcaster KCSM-TV in San Mateo, Calif., include names well known within the pubcasting system, as well as some new ones. The attendance list for a "pre-bid meeting" Tuesday (Jan. 10) includes former WNET exec Ken Devine of Independent Public Media (background: Current, Oct. 17, 2011); Ken Ikeda and Marc Hand of Boulder, Colo.-based Public Media Company;  Booker Wade, of the Minority Television Project/KMTP in San Francisco; and a rep for Stewart Cheifet Productions, which created Computer Chronicles, a personal computing show that ran on public TV for 20 years, ending in 2002. Other interested parties on the list: Ravi Potherlanka and Bill Dekay, two California wireless industry entrepreneurs; Ravi Kapur, vice president of KAXT in Santa Clara, Calif., a low-power affiliate of Spanish-language Christian television Tiempos Finales TV; Brian Stephens, c.e.o. of Pixel-Flick Entertainment, a website for independent producers; and two reps from religious broadcaster Daystar.

Here's a PDF of questions covered at the meeting.

Well. What would Lady Grantham say?

Take images from Downton Abbey, pair with lyrics from Beyoncé and what do you get? Downton Abbeyoncé.