Maplewood resident Rob Nelson will anchor NJ PBS’ new daily newscast, “NJ PBS News with Rob Nelson,” which debuts Oct. 1. The program will be broadcast from Montclair State University’s College of Communications and Media.
A Mount Laurel native with 25 years of journalism experience, Nelson moved to Maplewood from Atlanta about a year ago.
“It’s a wonderful community, where my wife and I are raising our two young sons, sending them to public schools and establishing new roots as we launch the next personal and professional chapters of our lives,” Nelson told Village Green. “This new job serving New Jersey fits on so many levels, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Nelson most recently anchored for Scripps News in Atlanta. His career has spanned newspapers, local television and national broadcasts, including roles at ABC News, WABC-TV in New York City and NewsNation.
“At a time when public media is facing such serious challenges, it’s an honor to join NJ PBS and help build a newsroom focused on thoughtful, meaningful stories that truly impact people’s lives,” Nelson said. “After so many years in other cities and regions of the country, to do that kind of work in my home state is especially rewarding.”
NJ PBS has named veteran journalist Rob Nelson, a Maplewood resident, as anchor of its new daily newscast. (Photo by John J. LaRosa/Montclair State University)
NJ PBS news director Omnika Thompson said Nelson brings both deep New Jersey roots and experience across the news industry.
“He understands what it takes to cover breaking news, hold institutions accountable and connect with audiences,” Thompson said in the announcement. “Just as importantly, he is coming home to New Jersey at an important moment for journalism and public media in our state.”
His appointment comes as Montclair State University prepares to assume full control of NJ PBS programming and its daily newscast.
Nelson began his career at The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, covering education, crime and politics, as well as the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He moved into television at WWL-TV in 2007 before joining ABC News in 2010 as co-anchor of “World News Now” and “America This Morning.”
He later reported for “Good Morning America,” “World News Tonight” and “Nightline.” Beginning in 2014, he spent six years as a weekend morning co-anchor and general assignment reporter at WABC-TV, covering stories throughout the New York metropolitan area.
Nelson joined NewsNation in 2020 and worked at Scripps News from 2021 to 2024. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2000 with degrees in journalism and political science.
“New Jersey is where my story began, and I am incredibly proud to be coming home to help tell the stories of this state,” Nelson said.
