NJ PBS
NJ PBS delivers public television programming to New Jersey residents across four FCC-licensed broadcast stations and digital platforms, funded through viewer donations and PBS Passport memberships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersEnglewood, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What NJ PBS does
NJ PBS is the nonprofit public television service for the State of New Jersey, delivering educational, news, and entertainment programming to New Jersey households. The service operates four FCC-licensed broadcast stations — WNJS (Camden), WNJN (Montclair), WNJT (Trenton), and WNJB (New Brunswick) — with the underlying broadcast licenses held by the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority (NJPBA), a state authority. Operations were transferred from WNET to Montclair State University on July 1, 2026, ending a 15-year operating arrangement that had been in place since 2011. The service is staffed by an estimated 11-50 employees.
Distribution spans linear over-the-air broadcast, livestream, on-demand video, the PBS Kids branded service, and the locally produced NJ Spotlight News. The PBS national affiliation provides content acquisition, technology integration, and the PBS Passport membership tier. The technology stack is fundamentally a conventional broadcast-and-streaming platform layered on PBS national infrastructure, with no disclosed AI, machine learning, or proprietary data systems.
Revenue is generated through viewer donations and PBS Passport memberships, supplemented by any underlying state appropriations routed through NJPBA. As a state-affiliated public broadcaster, NJ PBS does not raise venture capital, has no equity instrument, and is not structured for financial returns to investors.
NJ PBS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NJ PBS
- Legal name
- New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority
- Website
- https://njpbs.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- NJ PBS delivers public television programming to New Jersey residents across four FCC-licensed broadcast stations and digital platforms, funded through viewer donations and PBS Passport memberships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NJ PBS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Television Broadcasting
- NAICS
- Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)
- SIC
- Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM) (MPABACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- State/Regional Public Broadcasting Networks & Consortia (MPABADAC)
Keywords
Where NJ PBS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Englewood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
NJ PBS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Member Donations: Viewer-supported nonprofit model. Members make one-time or recurring donations to support public television programming, statewide storytelling, education, arts, culture, and public affairs. Donations are processed through PBS donation portal.
- PBS Passport Membership Benefit: PBS Passport is a member benefit offering extended access to a library of PBS and NJ PBS programs on demand. Available to eligible donors who support NJ PBS through donations.
- On-Air Programming: Free over-the-air broadcast programming available without subscription. Programming includes PBS programs, local stories, arts and culture, history, children's learning, and public affairs content.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free broadcast access with optional membership support |
| Subscription | Annual | PBS Passport member benefit (requires donation) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
NJ PBS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NJ PBS delivers free public television programming to New Jersey audiences through four FCC-licensed broadcast stations (WNJS, WNJN, WNJT, WNJB) and PBS-hosted streaming services. The service combines national PBS programming with local New Jersey content including statewide journalism (NJ Spotlight News), arts and culture coverage, history programming, children's educational content via PBS Kids, and on-demand streaming through the PBS video portal. It is a nonprofit, viewer-supported service funded through member donations and offering PBS Passport as a member benefit.
Product overview
NJ PBS is New Jersey's public television service, operated by Montclair State University since July 2026. The organization delivers a unified public media experience combining national PBS programming with local New Jersey content. The core product portfolio includes live broadcast streaming via the NJ PBS Livestream, on-demand video through the PBS video portal (watch.njpbs.org), and local journalism via NJ Spotlight News. Supporting offerings include PBS Kids for children's educational programming, PBS Passport as a member streaming benefit, and a weekly TV schedule. Content is delivered across four broadcast stations (WNJS, WNJN, WNJT, WNJB) covering the entire state. The service is nonprofit and viewer-supported, with video playback, account management, and payment processing handled through PBS-hosted infrastructure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- NJ Spotlight News: Statewide reporting and news coverage for New Jersey, including politics, business, education, and community issues.
Products and services
- NJ PBS Livestream
Companies that use NJ PBS
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
NJ PBS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
NJ PBS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Montclair State UniversitycoreAs of July 1, 2026, Montclair State University officially became the new operator of NJ PBS. The service is housed at the College of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. The New Jersey State Treasurer selected Montclair through its agreement with the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority. Montclair is hiring staff, setting up systems, and preparing programming for NJ PBS.
- The WNET GroupcoreWNET operated NJ PBS from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2026. The 15-year operational relationship ended as part of the transition to Montclair State University. WNET thanks viewers for their support during this period.
- New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority (NJPBA)coreNJPBA holds the FCC licenses for New Jersey's four public television stations (WNJS, WNJN, WNJT, WNJB). The State of New Jersey, through the State Treasurer, selected Montclair State University as the new operator through an agreement with NJPBA.
- Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)coreNJ PBS is part of the national PBS network, receiving PBS programming and hosting video services through PBS infrastructure. PBS handles video playback, account sign-in, PBS Passport, and donation processing for NJ PBS through PBS-hosted services.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
NJ PBS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- WTTW: Chicago-based PBS member station. Directly comparable mid-to-large PBS station with broadcast, streaming, and member-supported funding model.
- WETA: Washington, DC-area PBS member station. Comparable PBS member station operating multiple broadcast channels with member-supported programming and PBS Passport benefit.
- WNET (Thirteen/WNET.org): New York City-based PBS member station that operated NJ PBS from 2011 to 2026. Directly comparable PBS member station operator with similar broadcast infrastructure, fundraising, and PBS Passport model.
- WHYY: Philadelphia-based PBS/NPR member station whose broadcast footprint overlaps with southern New Jersey. Directly comparable as a regional public broadcaster serving an adjacent market with similar programming mix and donation model.
- WGBH (GBH): Boston-based PBS member station and one of the largest PBS producers. Comparable as a major PBS member station operating broadcast plus multi-platform distribution with member-supported funding.
- KQED: San Francisco Bay Area PBS and NPR member station. Comparable as a major regional public broadcaster with multi-platform distribution, local journalism, and member-supported funding.
- KCET: Los Angeles-based PBS member station. Comparable regional PBS broadcaster operating broadcast plus streaming with member-supported funding model.
Broad incumbents
- PBS (Public Broadcasting Service): National PBS network that licenses programming to and provides infrastructure for NJ PBS. Comparable as the umbrella organization whose content library, Passport, and streaming infrastructure NJ PBS relies on.
- New York Public Radio (WNYC): Major New York-area public radio operator. Comparable as a peer public media nonprofit with member-supported funding, local journalism, and multi-platform distribution, though operating in radio rather than television.
- WNET Group: Parent organization of WNET and former operator of NJ PBS. Comparable as a public media management organization that has operated multiple PBS stations, including NJ PBS for 15 years.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
NJ PBS social profiles
Digital presenceNJ PBS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NJ PBS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
NJ PBS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NJ PBS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NJ PBS
What does NJ PBS do?
NJ PBS delivers free public television programming to New Jersey audiences through four FCC-licensed broadcast stations (WNJS, WNJN, WNJT, WNJB) and PBS-hosted streaming services. The service combines national PBS programming with local New Jersey content including statewide journalism (NJ Spotlight News), arts and culture coverage, history programming, children's educational content via PBS Kids, and on-demand streaming through the PBS video portal. It is a nonprofit, viewer-supported service funded through member donations and offering PBS Passport as a member benefit.
Is NJ PBS a public or private company?
NJ PBS is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was NJ PBS founded?
NJ PBS was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is NJ PBS based?
NJ PBS is headquartered in Englewood, United States, in the North America region.
How does NJ PBS make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Member Donations are the primary driver. The others are PBS Passport Membership Benefit and on-Air Programming.
Who are NJ PBS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are WTTW, WETA, WNET (Thirteen/WNET.org), WHYY, WGBH (GBH), KQED and KCET. Broad incumbents are PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), New York Public Radio (WNYC) and WNET Group.
Does NJ PBS have an API?
No public API is recorded for NJ PBS.
What industry is NJ PBS in?
NJ PBS's product category is Public Television Broadcasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABACAG, Public/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM), with a secondary code of MPABADAC, State/Regional Public Broadcasting Networks & Consortia. Its NAICS code is 516120 and its SIC code is 4833.