As the producer and host of a weekly television series called “Raritan Bayshore County” (shown on Comcast and the Internet), John Schneider says he has grown to love sharing the local beauty and colorful history of Monmouth County’s Bayshore area to help people understand and appreciate the relics and spirits of the past which surround them.
Today, more than one million people every year see his television program of travelogues and historical documentaries, according to a press release.
The weekly program – available to Comcast subscribers in Toms River, Ocean, Monmouth and Union counties – has featured episodes about the Revolutionary War, tours of local towns and villages, interviews with newsmakers and celebrities, walking tours and other subjects many people never knew about, according to the press release.
This original weekly 30-minute program, now entering its seventh year, has been seen by millions of people in the area. Some of Schneider’s original historical documentaries, but not all, include such subjects as Sandy Hook; histories of local towns such as Highlands, Keansburg and Matawan; prehistoric New Jersey; world wars; the Revolutionary War; lighthouses, and more.
Schneider has developed more than 60 Facebook groups comprising some 150,000 members for towns and villages where his historical programs are viewed with enthusiasm, according to the press release.
One such group focused on Middletown now has more than 30,000 members. Another group, Monmouth County History, boasts more than 5,000 members.
His latest books include “A Historical Journey Across Raritan Bay,” “Historic Highlands – A Sentimental Journey” and most recently, “Sandy Hook: Past & Present.”
Schneider was recognized in an official Monmouth County listing and profiled in a book as one of the top 50 historians in the area of the last 50 years, according to the press release.
Schneider’s education at George Washington University and the University of Maryland focused on journalism and geophysics. He spent 25 years with AT&T as a marketing executive and held a variety of positions with the ABC television network.
His personal interests include composing music, volunteering in a number of communities and boating. Currently, he lives in Keyport.