TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Mercer) announced today she will introduce a bill requiring NJTV to broadcast the New Jersey lottery drawings.
Since July 1, the New Jersey Lottery has been streaming its daily lottery drawings only on its Web site and on its Facebook page.
Watson Coleman wants the drawing to be available on the state's public television network. NJTV is the private nonprofit that replaced New Jersey Network earlier this month.
"Not everyone owns or has access to a computer, so limiting live drawings to the Internet would leave many residents who play the lottery in the dark," Watson Coleman said in a statement announcing the bill. "NJTV said it was committed to providing New Jersey content. This is a perfect opportunity for them to do just that."
Kellie Castruita Specter, senior director of communication for WNET, which operates NJTV, said the new network has been talking with lottery officials about televising the drawing.
"We are interested in running the drawing," she said. "We don't know when, but we're hoping as soon as possible."
New Jersey Lottery spokeswoman Jacquie Fiorito said the lottery hopes many broadcasters, and not just NJTV, will want to televise the drawings. She said lottery officials are talking to several media outlets about what they have to do to access its new TV ready, Internet drawing.
"We would love to see the public call whatever station they're watching and tell them to run the numbers," said Fiorito. "We're all for it."
The lottery had been paying NJN $1.2 million a year to broadcast its daily drawings. Earlier this year, it decided not to renew its contract but instead to produce the drawing in house and stream it on its website, Fiorito said.
That decision was made earlier and independent of the state's move to spin off NJN to a private entity. Both changes occurred on July 1.
carrying the lottery broadcast should have be a condition of sale of njn lic. to njtv.
I have to agree with the politician. I know tonnes of people who still cant even work a computer, leave alone owning one and having internet access.
What can I say, progress is a slow thing
Yep. let the people who play decide.
Don't want to use it to Watch TV!
FYI: The NJN License was retained by the State of New Jersey!
what will it be used for ?
They are being used for NJTV. The way the deal was structured, the four stations that used to be NJN are now being run by PBS flagship WNET (Channel 13, which is licensed to Newark but operates out of New York City) under an operating agreement, instead of being directly run by the state, but the state still owns the stations and their licenses. Essentially, the state contracted the operations to a new division within Thirteen's non-profit foundation. (They also run Long Island's WLIW, channel 21, so essentially all New York area PBS members are under one foundation)
thanks, i thought it was something like that,did'nt follow story that closly,but that must be why i was thinking broadcasting the drawing could be made a condition of the deal. and surely theres ppl. ny. that watch.