GOP assemblywoman joins push to save NJ PBS

by Zack Blackburn, NewJerseyGlobe.com

Dunn, a former Sesame Workshop lobbyist, wants to help secure funding, partner

Assemblywoman Aura Dunn (R-Mendham Boro), a former lobbyist for Sesame Workshop, has joined bipartisan calls to protect NJ PBS, which is set to shut down next July. 

The assemblywoman said she will help NJ PBS find a new broadcasting partner or source of funding to save the channel. Dunn had lobbied for America’s Public Television Stations, Sesame Street and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood before the federal government before her time in the Assembly.

“NJ PBS provides a distinct New Jersey voice to the current media landscape and a platform for free educational, civic-minded and diverse programming that cannot be viewed anywhere else. The potential loss of NJ PBS is about more than a TV station, it’s about access to programs that strengthen New Jersey families and serve the interests of the public,” Dunn said. “I’m looking to create a working group of like-minded lawmakers, broadcasters, journalists and advocates to find a solution that will save NJ PBS for future generations.”

The Trump administration cut funds to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting this year, leading WNET, which operates and broadcasts NJ PBS, not to renew its contract. WNET received much of its funding from the CBP. The state government also cut three-quarters of funding for NJ PBS in the most recent budget.

Dunn joins a bipartisan effort to protect public television in New Jersey. State Sens. John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro) and Andrew Zwicker (D-South Brunswick) called for a “top-to-bottom analysis” of public television in New Jersey as they look to retain public TV in the state.

New Jersey is one of 36 states to directly fund public television, and Dunn said she wants to keep it accessible to all — she pointed to HBO’s takeover of Sesame Street as an example of the loss of publicly valuable programming.

“Currently, if parents of small children want to watch the latest episodes of Sesame Street, they have to pay for a premium channel or streaming service, which is especially financially burdensome for families living in high-cost New Jersey. Sesame Street was something that was safe for all kids and reached everyone no matter their income,” Dunn said. “The further public television is forced to shift away from its original mission, the less families will have access to programs that truly make a difference.”