Public Media NJ Elects Five New Members to Board of Trustees; Names Chair and Vice Chair

Public Media NJ Elects Five New Members to Board of Trustees; Names Chair and Vice Chair

New Members Join Growing Roster of Prominent New Jerseyans Serving on PMNJ Board

NEWARK, N.J., Dec. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In its first Board of Trustees meeting last Friday, Public Media NJ, Inc., operator of NJTV, New Jersey's new public television network, elected five new members to its Board of Trustees.  They are:

• Bernard "Bernie" Flynn has served as President and CEO of New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company since April 2008 and Chairman of the Board of NJM Bank FSB, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NJM, since 2009.
• Edward J. Graham is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of South Jersey Industries. He is also the Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of South Jersey Gas Company.
• Randall E. Mehrberg is the President of PSEG Energy Holdings. He also serves as Executive Vice President, Strategy & Development, Public Service Enterprise Group.
• Brenda Ross-Dulan is Executive Vice President and Regional President for Wells Fargo's Southern New Jersey Region, responsible for 150 banking stores.
• Gary Wingens is Chairman and CEO of Lowenstein Sandler, leading the firm's Mortgage Finance practice.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110901/DC61559LOGO)

"It's exciting to welcome such influential New Jerseyans to the Board of PMNJ" said Neal Shapiro, President and CEO of WNET and PMNJ Board member. "Their backgrounds in the business community of New Jersey make them valuable assets to Public Media NJ, Inc. and instrumental in forwarding the mission of NJTV."

Additionally, the roles of two existing board members were elevated at the meeting as Josh Weston, former Chairman of ADP, was elected Chairman of the Board and Liz Thomas, former member of the Public Broadcasting Authority of New Jersey and principal at Thomas Boyd Communications, was elected Vice Chair.

The PMNJ Board includes Anthony Bastardi, Chairman of the Foundation for New Jersey Public Broadcasting and Chairman and CEO of Strategic Development Group; Dennis Bone, a member of the Executive Committee for the Foundation for Public Broadcasting and President of Verizon New Jersey; Thomas Bracken, Vice Chair of the Foundation for Public Broadcasting and President and CEO of New Jersey Chamber of Commerce; and The Honorable Thomas H. Kean, Former Governor of New Jersey; as well as Shapiro, Weston and Thomas.

ABOUT PMNJ
Created in 2011, Public Media NJ, Inc. (PMNJ) is an affiliate of WNET New York Public Media, parent company of award-winning television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21. PMNJ operates NJTV, New Jersey's network of four public televisions, which provides a statewide 24/7 programming schedule and a week nightly news program, NJ Today.

ABOUT NJTV
Now in its 25th week on the air, NJTV brings quality public television programs and resources to communities throughout New Jersey and its Tri-state neighbors. NJTV's broadcast schedule combines acclaimed national PBS series like American Masters, Nature, Charlie Rose, and BBC World News America with an array of state-focused news, arts and public affairs shows, including One-on-One with Steve Adubato, Perspectives, Caucus New Jersey, Due Process and State of the Arts. The station's week-nightly news broadcast, NJ Today, features stories from across the Garden State. NJTV complements its growing news staff by partnering with state-wide media and higher education institutions. The network actively solicits viewer news tips, story ideas and feedback, along with locally-produced film shorts and long-form documentaries, making New Jerseyans part of the network's editorial team. The network's website, www.njtvonline.org posts the latest local news, information and program schedules, and its Education section offers local educators free, classroom-ready, digital resources through VITAL NJ.

NJTV is comprised of WNJN, WNJS, WNJB, and WNJT, which collectively broadcast throughout NJ. Formerly New Jersey Network (NJN), NJTV is operated under an agreement with the state of New Jersey by Public Media NJ, Inc. (PMNJ), a non-profit affiliate of WNET, parent company of award-winning New York public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21.  NJTV sponsorships and partnerships are available.

ABOUT WNET NEW YORK PUBLIC MEDIA
WNET is America's flagship public media outlet, bringing quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. The parent company of public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET produces such acclaimed  PBS series as Great Performances, American Masters, Nature, Need to Know, Charlie Rose, Tavis Smiley and a range of documentaries,  children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online.  Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Noah Comprende and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through SundayArts, Reel 13, NJ Today and the new online newsmagazine MetroFocus.

SOURCE NJTV