New Jersey Network (NJN) is the Garden State’s public broadcasting station. It is an entity that sees its budget slashed yearly. This year, $4.3 million tax dollars will fund the 150 employees. One hundred fifty employees to produce a nightly newscast, a couple public affairs shows, and broadcast a radio station? That’s the government for you!
But compared to 20 years ago, it is but 20% of the then $20 million taxpayers forker over.
Executives want the 39-year-old taxpayer-funded network to become a community licensed entity, run by a non-profit foundation. That would free the network of onerous bureaucracy, improve its ability to raise private money and allow taxpayer support to be phased out over several years.
The phase out would take several years? Why? Cut them loose right now. I say spin NJN off come 1 July. There’s another $4.3 saved. That would help keep the state parks open, eh?
Don’t get me wrong, I like Michael Aron and think he’s worth his $124,000 salary. But I would prefer a news station to be independent and not government run. Since it thinks the same, let’s work together for the benefit of all.
Some correspondent for CNN (I never watch the channel, so have never heard of him) was arrested last evening in Central Park. He was initially arrested for loitering. When found, he had a rope tied around his neck and scrotum. Drug charges will be added.
The criminal complaint says the officer at the scene was able to ID the drug because of “his prior experience as a police officer in drug arrests, observation of packaging which is characteristic of this type of drug, and defendant’s statements that . . . ‘I’ve got some meth in my pocket.’ “
My mother sent me some clips of the Media Research Center (MRC) DisHonor Awards. The MRC created a new award this year: Barack Obama Gives A Thrill Up My Leg Award. Too funny.
For those of you who may have missed that bit, Chris Matthews, the bombastic MSNBC commentator, showed his bias for Barack Obama on the evening of the Iowa Caucus.
When the news media players openly root for candidates, they are not objective. If one is not objective, there is no need to rely upon them for news. If the commentary is interesting to you, go for it. Frankly, I do not need about a grown man having a thrill go up his leg because of another man. YMMV . . .
One of the complaints about bloggers is that what we published is not edited by another prior to publishing. Newspapermen criticize bloggers then as being less than an authority.
I think editing is a wonderful thing. For this blog though, editing is left to me and only me. Folks sometimes will let me know about mistakes. I correct them when they do. I sometimes reread older pieces (I like to reread posts from previous years) and correct spelling and grammar mistakes when I catch them.
But I am fully aware there are plenty of mistakes here. There is no editing by another. Newspapermen don’t think much of that.
Of course, newspapermen sometimes get it wrong too. Do we throw the baby out with the bath water when they do?
The above error has since been corrected. If we played it their way, we could discredit everything the paper ever has to say.
The release states that the Millville Police Department’s calls for service indicate officers have been dispatched to that address 68 times since June 18.
Apparently citizens have complained of “noise violations, loitering on the sidewalk as to block pedestrian traffic, drinking alcohol in public, gambling, selling drugs in plain view and litter around the property.”
Yet after reading the article I am left with this question: Where is the property? Mr. Van Embden, the Press reporter, did not include that information in the article. Don’t you think that is vital information?
We learn in paragraph six that James Cinquina is the landlord. Of course, that does not mean he lives there. We do learn that the house is on Vine Street.
There is a 