NJ PBS names Rob Nelson anchor of new daily newscast

NJ PBS has named veteran journalist Rob Nelson anchor of its new daily newscast, launching next month as Montclair State University assumes full control of the state’s public television network.

ROI-NJ first reported that NJ PBS News with Rob Nelson will debut on October 1.

Montclair became the operator of New Jersey’s four public television stations on July 1, taking over from WNET.   Spotlight News has also been acquired by the fledgling venture.

The current anchors, Joanna Gagis and Briana Vannozzi, were praised for their work “shepherding the broadcast through this transition.”

“They have ensured that New Jersey audiences continued to receive the trusted news and information,” said Ashlee Smith,  the new NJ PBS general manager and a six-year PBS veteran.

Nelson, a South Jersey native who lives in Maplewood, has 25 years of experience in print, local television and national broadcast journalism.  He began his career at The Times-Picayune in New Orleans.

He later joined ABC News, where he co-anchored “World News Now” and “America This Morning” and reported for “Good Morning America,” “World News Tonight,” and “Nightline.” He also spent six years as a weekend morning anchor and general assignment reporter for WABC-TV in New York.

Nelson was one of the original anchors at NewsNation and later worked for Scripps News, where he anchored a morning newscast and covered presidential primaries and national political conventions.