September 15, 2021 – NEWARK, NJ – NJ PBS, New Jersey’s public television network, announced that news seasons of its popular public affairs series, Chat Box with David Cruz and Reporters Roundtable with David Cruz launch this week. Both series are anchored by NJ Spotlight News Senior Political Correspondent David Cruz.

Chat Box, now in its second season on NJ PBS, welcomes U.S. Senator Cory Booker as its guest this week, discussing an array of topics, including rebuilding and recovery after the devastating storm Ida. The public is welcome to join the conversation live online and submit questions as the program streams on the NJ Spotlight News YouTube channel Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. The series then airs Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on NJ PBS (check local listings).

Reporters Roundtable with David Cruz also launches its new season this week, with a new logo and graphics for the series that has become a perennial favorite on New Jersey public television. In this season opener, moderator David Cruz and a panel of Garden State journalists explore headline news including in-person schooling in a pandemic, and the debate happening between parents, teachers, politicians and pediatricians about masks, vaccines, variants and more. The panel also discusses the top political headlines of the day in New Jersey and the nation. As with Chat Box, Cruz welcomes live interaction with the Reporters Roundtable online audience and fields public questions when the program streams on the NJ Spotlight News YouTube channel Fridays at 10 a.m. The program then broadcasts Saturdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m. on NJ PBS (check local listings).

Both series are produced by NJ Spotlight News, the news division of NJ PBS, and also stream across the NJ Spotlight News social media platforms.

“There is never a shortage of topics for these shows,” said Cruz. “New Jersey is ripe with politics and policy issues on so many fronts, and everyone has an opinion on how to resolve them. Our goal with these series is to stimulate discussions both during the shows and afterward in homes, helping constituents sort the facts, weigh all sides and become better informed about their state.”

Funding for Chat Box with David Cruz is provided by NJM Insurance Group, NJEA, and Fuel Merchants Association of NJ. Promotional support provided by InsiderNJ. Major funding for Reporters Roundtable with David Cruz is provided by New Jersey Realtors, RWJBarnabas Health, and NJM Insurance Group. Promotional support provided by New Jersey Business Magazine.

ABOUT NJ PBS

NJ PBS, New Jersey’s public television network, brings quality arts, education, and public affairs programming to all 21 counties in the state. Headquartered at the Agnes Varis NJ PBS Studio in Newark, with additional studio space at New Jersey City University, the network offers diverse local programs including Chat Box with David Cruz, NJ Business Beat with Rhonda Schaffler, Here’s the Story, Drive By History, One-on-One with Steve Adubato, Reporters Roundtable with David Cruz and State of the Arts and PBS favorites such as Nature, NOVA, Amanpour and Company and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. Its award-winning newsroom provides multiplatform reporting from across the Garden State on its weeknight newscast, NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi, and digitally via NJSpotlightNews.org, plus live news specials, roundtable discussions and daily newsletters. The MyNJPBS.org network website offers streaming programs and free digital resources for educators via PBS LearningMedia New Jersey. NJ PBS is operated under an agreement with the state of New Jersey by Public Media NJ, Inc. (PMNJ), a non-profit affiliate of The WNET Group, parent company of award-winning New York public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21.