NJ PBS to shutter in 2026 after very significant public funding cuts

New Jersey’s public broadcasting landscape is changing dramatically as NJ PBS announced it will shutter in 2026 after very significant funding cuts tied to the Trump administration and state government. The Newark-based station has been the only PBS outlet focused on New Jersey news and has been operated by WNET for 14 years. In a statement, WNET said the management contract could not be extended beyond the June 30, 2026 expiration because the funding climate made a continuation unviable.

WNET did not disclose how the funding cuts blocked negotiations with the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority. The NJ PBS service will continue to operate through the June 30 deadline, after which the station would close unless another operator steps forward.

After the shutdown, the nightly news program NJ Spotlight News will move to THIRTEEN, the only other PBS station licensed to New Jersey that covers primarily the New York City region. New Jersey residents can still access PBS programming online or via THIRTEEN. WNET said it remains committed to supporting the state through the transition and would work with New Jersey-based institutions interested in operating the network.

Funding context: President Donald Trump previously cut about 500 million in nationwide public broadcasting funding, a development that affected hundreds of PBS stations and NPR affiliates. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced in August that it would shut down certain operations in response to the funding cuts, and New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy signed a spending plan that reduced NJ PBS funding to 250,000, down from 1 million the year before. Murphy's office did not respond to requests for comment.

NJ PBS chairman Scott Kobler said in a published op-ed that the organization had pursued a reasonable level of public support but faced intransigence at the state level, as well as broader federal funding pressures and changes in the media landscape. In a separate post, he blamed a combination of factors for the impasse.

The closure comes as New Jersey grapples with a broader decline in local news outlets. The Star-Ledger, historically the state's dominant newspaper, stopped printing in February and shifted to an online-only model, a move echoed by The Times of Trenton, The South Jersey Times and The Hunterdon County Democrat; The Jersey Journal also halted operations in the same period.

Looking ahead, NJ PBS will remain on the air through mid-2026 as it works with stakeholders on a transition plan. WNET indicated it would support the transition and would explore opportunities for other New Jersey-based operators to take over the network if possible. Viewers will still be able to access PBS content online during the transition and may rely on THIRTEEN for New Jersey–focused reporting once the closure takes effect.