The decision to pick Kent Manahan as the anchor of the New Jersey Network nightly news ultimately rests with the station's executive director, Elizabeth Christopherson. While the Governor appoints members of the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority, staff decisions - like picking an anchorman - rests entirely with the Christopherson. She will also name a new News Director to replace Bill Jobes, who is retiring at the end of the month.
Manahan, who has been with NJN for 31 years, makes about $125,000 a year. That's the same salary as other senior NJN employees, including Christopherson (who may receive additional money as the head of the NJN foundation), and senior political correspondent Michael Aron. Aron is not expected to be interested in the anchorman job.
Insiders with knowledge of NJN say that Christopherson is likely to promote from within her organization. The early short list includes the three reporters who have worked as backup anchors: Marie DeNoia Aronsohn, Zachary Fink, Kent St. John, and Adrienne Supino. Christopherson could also recruit someone from outside of NJN, and might face some pressure to hire the state's first African American or Hispanic TV news anchor.
And since this is New Jersey, don't rule out Paul Moriarty, a Democratic Assemblyman and the Mayor of Washington Township. Moriarty was a TV news reporter in Philadelphia before entering politics.
The race for governor helped give PolitickerNJ.com our best month since the site launched on February 1, 2000.
As compared to the four weeks ... >
The contest for Governor of New Jersey might be the most visible but in the long term it might not be the most important. Long after our youngest ... >
Political discourse in America contains much in the way of intellect or intellectual honesty. One considers the Federalist Papers with wistful awe: ... >
Governor-elect Christopher J. Christie. How sweet it is for the thousands of volunteers who worked since February to support this great man for NJ ... >
With a convincing win in defeating an encumbent Governor, why were there no coattails? >
Within 24 hours after the election of Chris Christie as Governor, the battle was joined between the Governor-elect and the New Jersey Education ... >
I am often asked by my students, friends and even reporters why campaigns in New Jersey are so nasty and why candidates rely so heavily on negative ... >
It was a dark and stormy November night. An icy wind whistled through leafless moonlit trees. A loud thud is followed by a piercing scream. A ... >
OK, aside from the governor’s race, the House Health Care Bill (H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act). was the big news of ... >
According to the latest SurveyUSA and Rutgers Eagleton polls, independent gubernatorial candidate Chris Daggett has the support of 19% and 20% of ... >