Ode to NJN

[Bob_the_Bartender]

Hey gang,

I just wanted to bid farewell to New Jersey Network, the Garden State's own public network television station, which is going off the air after nearly forty years of broadcasting.  Sadly, due to budget difficulties, NJN will cease broadcasting after tomorrow night.

Of course, I believe that NJN was one of the first PBS stations in the US to broadcast Dark Shadows, starting way back in 1983.  NJN began its airing of Dark Shadows with the classic episode featuring Mrs. Johnson answering the front door at Collinwood and meeting Barnabas Collins, that very-much unexpected "cousin from England."

NJN continued to air Dark Shadows for the next several years, right up to Parallel Time episode number 1006, in which actor John Harkins (as chemist Horace Gladstone) declared dramatically to actor Christopher Pennock (as Dr. Cyrus Longworth): "Cyrus Longworth is John Yeager, and John Yeager is Cyrus Longworth!"   Regrettably, all of the New Jersey/New York/Pennsylvania DS fans (including yours truly), who used to tune into NJN every night to catch the latest goings-on with Barnabas, Julia, Willie, etc., had to wait for far too many years to finally see what happened during the remaining 239 episodes of the program over on the Sci-Fi Channel.

Still, it was great to see Dark Shadows aired again in 1983, after not having seen the much-beloved show since its cancellation in April of 1971. 

Au revoir, New Jersey Network.  Thanks for the great memories of Dark Shadows on New Jersey's PBS station.     

[ClaudeNorth]

Where did you hear this?  I was just looking on NJN's website, and there is no mention of its going off the air, although it does appear that their second digital channel will cease broadcasting as of July 1.

[MagnusTrask]

NJN was very supportive of Dr Who, too.

[Uncle Roger]

Did they show Uncle Floyd also?

[David]

They were the first TV station, PBS or otherwise, to get the third post-Barnabas year released.
They were incredibly supportive of DS, I wonder what will become of the channels, home shopping? (shudder....)

[ClaudeNorth]

NJN is now NJTV.  WNET took over operations of NJN due to the latter's financial difficulties.

While it is the end of an era, it's also the beginning of a new era.  The important thing is that New Jersey will not be losing its public television stations.

And, yes, NJN did air Uncle Floyd.  Both UF and DS were picked up by NJN under the auspices of former NJN president Hendrix Niemann (sp?).  When he left the network, the new president canceled both shows as a way of putting his own stamp on the network, in spite of DS being a huge money maker for the network as well as a significant ratings success.  One of my relatives used to work in the advertising department of one of Philadelphia's independent UHF stations and he was not pleased that NJN's airings of DS did better in the ratings than his station's 6:30 PM offerings.  Impressive, that an out-of-state PBS station, with shaky reception in the Philadelphia area, could draw more Philadelphia viewers than one of the city's own stations.

All in all, a bittersweet moment for DS fans.

[DLA75]

Gov Chris Chrstie gave control of NJN to New York's WNET and they have rebraned it NJTV.

[The Doctor and K9]

Let's not forget that they also solicited pledges for DS even though they had already decided not to pick up the final year.  I sent them a check, even though I lived in TX.  I was quite angry when the announcement of the cancellation of DS came before my donation barely had time to clear.  I tried to put a stop payment on it,but it was too late. 

[joe integlia]

wow im sad to hear this but maybe they get what they deserved for ripping off the ds fans even if it is decades later. i was living in philadelphia and remember trying to tune the station in with only fair results. my friend bob had much better luck and got a crystal clear picture fron the station and recorded every episode they showed.

[The Doctor and K9]

NJN solicited pledges with the fraudulent promises that DS, The Uncle Floyd Show, and other programs that did not fit into a new vision of ivory tower programming. They got more than they bargained for with the fans of the Uncle Floyd Show. They filed a class action lawsuit and forced the network to return almost $15,000 of the wrongfully obtained funds. Unfortunately, as I recall, they got off easy. The lawyers were asking for punitive damages, which they didn't get. I think they also asked that funds from the other shows be returned, but that did not happen either.

"'UNCLE FLOYD' TAKES NEW TACK"
Made Possible By...: The Death of Public Broadcasting in the United States
Letters To The Editor Uncle Floyd

[DLA75]

The most annoying thing was that much of that "Ivory tower" programing already airing on WNET in NYC and WHYY in Philly and there was no need for it to be repeated on NJN. NJN should have stuck with programing like Dark Shadows, Uncle Floyd and Doctor Who Instead we got re-airings of episodes Nova, Sesame Street and Frontline that had aired of WNET and WHYY a few a hours or a few days earlier.

[Bob_the_Bartender]

i was living in philadelphia and remember trying to tune the station in with only fair results. my friend bob had much better luck and got a crystal clear picture fron the station and recorded every episode they showed.

Joe,

During the late 1970s, there was a UHF station, Channel 48, out of Philadelphia, which also broadcast "Dark Shadows."  I used to pick it up from at my parents' summer home on the New Jersey shore.  I recall that it used to air immediately after "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" at 11:30 PM (I think).

Channel 48 had such a strong signal for a UHF station that I was even able to get it most nights up in northern New Jersey.  In fact, in an attempt to improve the reception, I shelled out ten whole bucks for one of those now ancient UHF bow tie antennas, which looked liked the a square barbecue grill with four small bow ties affixed to it.  And, d@mn, if that antenna didn't improve Channel 48's signal, up there along the shores of the mighty Hudson River!

As I recall, Channel 48 began airing "Dark Shadows" with Barnabas' introduction and stopped airing the show during Vicky Winters' trip back to 1797.

Bob

[joe integlia]

wkbs tv 48 did air DARK SHADOWS in 1976 right after MARY HARTMAN MARY HARTMAN. However they showed the entire 1st syndicated year. they did not stop during 1795 but showed up till the intro of dr lang and adams arm in the box. even though they claimed to be a philadelphia station i think they were located in burlington new jersey which would explain the good reception in new jersey as i in philadelphia always found it to be a little fuzzier signal than the other channels. anyway it was my 2nd introduction to the show and i was older and able to follow and enjoy it more.

[ClaudeNorth]

Channel 48 advertised DS heavily in the TV Guide.  I remember it was a big deal when the station debuted the show.  They ran a full page ad featuring a haunted house to announce DS at 11:30 and Night Gallery at midnight.  The subsequent ads featured photos of JF as Barnabas as well as generic drawings of vampires and tombstones.  Channel 48 also advertised in the weekly TV listings that came with the local newspapers.  I recall one ad that read, "Dark Shadows: A Horror of a Soap!"