NJ PBS premiered its first news broadcast from Montclair State University’s news lab on Oct. 1, bringing public media operations to campus and creating new opportunities for students.
The partnership began when Montclair State University submitted a proposal to the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority in 2026, when the NJ PBS station was looking for a new operator. It will allow students to gain hands-on experience in the newsroom, leading new faces into the evolving public media sphere.
The outlet will also join the Center for Cooperative Media and NJ Spotlight as part of the university’s growing media presence.
The NJ PBS studio is housed in the former Montclair State News Lab, and the set was constructed leading up to its starting broadcast date of Oct. 1.
Gavin O'Melia | The Montclarion
Dr. Keith Strudler, dean of the College of Communication and Media, described his enthusiasm for housing the station.
“There is gonna be all sorts of internships and shadowing opportunities, opportunities for classes to be building content for the network,” Strudler said. “Students are going to be able to learn from folks in the network and build their own skill sets and portfolios. I think it’s a really unique opportunity that not a lot of universities across the country have.”
Strudler also discussed how the partnership could influence public media.
“It’s a tricky time for public broadcasting,” Strudler said. “There have been cuts at the federal level, so there’s less available money for a lot of stations. There’s changing tastes with how people consume media.”
College of Communication and Media Dean Keith Strudler poses for the camera.
Kaitlin Swift | The Montclarion
Strudler shared NJ PBS has the opportunity to develop its approach from the ground up as audiences increase the way they consume media, especially through digital platforms.
“Because we’re totally starting from scratch,” Strudler explained, “we get to consider, ‘What’s our digital strategy?’ and ‘What’s our social strategy?’ and ‘How do we better connect with communities personally?’ It gives an opportunity to not have to try to fix something, but consider it from the ground up.”
Omnika Thompson, the news director of NJ PBS, has worked in the cable news industry for 31 years, including at organizations like NBC News and MS NOW.
Thompson expressed her excitement about building the station and working alongside students.
“It’s invigorating to be here every day and to be a part of a team that’s all working together to make this happen,” Thompson said. “To be around students who are fresh faced and curious and hungry to be a part of all of this. To be a part of the story of making sure that public media survives.”
NJ PBS news director Omnika Thompson smiles in the control room.
Kaitlin Swift | The Montclarion
Thompson described the launch as an opening to contribute to the future of public media.
“I’m a deep believer in the necessity of public media, and how valuable it is to our democracy,” Thompson said. “If I could help NJ PBS become the model for what public media can be, that would be an honor for me.”
Thompson acknowledged that the station will need time to develop but said its goal is to provide fair coverage and give people across New Jersey opportunities to share their perspectives. She hopes the station will offer an alternative for audiences concerned about the state of corporate media.
“I think people will be surprised that our coverage is going to be fair and honest,” Thompson said. “It’s going to give many different voices across the state an opportunity to get their story, their point of view out there.”
Rob Nelson, senior news anchor for NJ PBS, has worked in national and local television news for 25 years, anchoring for ABC News, WABC-TV, and Nexstar Media Group.
Nelson shared the station is still determining the direction of its programming and how its staff will work with Montclair State students.
“I think what makes it different here is that we’re still defining what our show’s gonna be, what this newsroom’s gonna be, our relationship with the students here at Montclair,” Nelson said. “I think PBS, as a brand, enjoys a reputation for very credible, substantive journalism, and that’s what people expect from us: a deeper, more extensive presentation of news and issues.”
"I think PBS, as a brand, enjoys a reputation for very credible, substantive journalism, and that's what people expect from us," said NJ PBS senior news anchor Rob Nelson.
Kaitlin Swift | The Montclarion
Nelson described the partnership as an opportunity for the station and university to support one another while serving residents of New Jersey.
“There’s certainly going to be a strong relationship,” Nelson said. “We can help serve students while also serving the state at the same time.”
However, Nelson added the station must establish itself and earn the trust of its audience before that can happen.
“First thing’s first, we’ve got to get up and running and earn people’s trust,” Nelson said. “But I certainly hope that beyond the borders of New Jersey, people look at what we’re doing here, as maybe how public media survives, and gets creative at a time where there’s a lot of external challenges.”
As the station develops and evolves, Nelson shared that he hopes its approach could serve as a model for other public media stations and universities that are facing similar challenges.
A sign welcoming visitors into the NJPBS studio, located in the College of Communication and Media at Montclair State University.
Kaitlin Swift | The Montclarion
