Peter Alexander Departs NBC News, Expected to Join MS NOW
Peter Alexander has announced his departure from NBC News after two decades with the network, where he held prominent roles including chief White House correspondent and co-anchor of the Saturday "Today" show. While Alexander did not specify his next professional destination publicly, reports indicate he is transitioning to MS NOW, a recently rebranded cable news channel, to serve as an anchor and chief national reporter.
Reports indicate Alexander is transitioning to MS NOW, a recently rebranded cable news channel, to serve as an anchor and chief national reporter.
Departure from NBC News
Alexander's departure was announced during a Saturday morning broadcast of the "Today" show, marking the end of his 20-year tenure that began in 2004. Following his announcement, Chloe Arensberg, NBC News' Washington Bureau Chief, and Matt Carluccio, executive producer of weekend "Today" broadcasts, acknowledged his contributions in a memo distributed to staffers.
Tenure and Roles at NBC News
Throughout his extensive tenure, Alexander held various key positions at NBC News:
- He served as a White House correspondent for NBC starting in 2012, a role that included covering the Republican presidential race that year.
- He later became co-chief White House correspondent alongside Kristen Welker.
- He assumed the role of sole chief White House correspondent when Welker transitioned to moderator of "Meet the Press." According to one source, he held this chief White House correspondent position since 2023.
- He co-anchored the Saturday edition of the "Today" show since 2018.
Alexander's duties often involved working in Washington, D.C., during the week and traveling to New York City for weekend broadcasts. During his time at NBC News, he reported on multiple presidential administrations. He famously questioned President Trump during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and was publicly criticized by the President in connection with questions asked during news conferences.
Prior to joining NBC News, Alexander worked as an anchor at KPCQ in Seattle.
Reported Reasons for Departure
Alexander stated an interest in spending more time with his two young children as a primary reason for his decision. He noted that his weekend role had caused him to miss over 200 Friday nights. Additionally, sources indicated that Alexander had recently expressed a desire for new professional challenges.
Future Professional Endeavors
While Alexander did not specify his next professional destination publicly, speculation had centered on an open anchor slot for the 11 a.m. weekday hour at MSNBC, which has since rebranded as MS NOW.
Alexander is expected to join MS NOW, where he will serve as an anchor and chief national reporter, hosting the 11 a.m. Eastern weekday program.
One source reports that Peter Alexander is indeed joining MS NOW, a cable news channel formerly known as MSNBC. In this new role, he is expected to serve as an anchor and chief national reporter. His responsibilities reportedly include hosting the 11 a.m. Eastern hour weekday program, taking over from Ana Cabrera, who is departing the network in June due to programming changes, and covering breaking news. His agreement with MS NOW's parent company, Versant, reportedly includes potential contributions to sports coverage on USA Network and the Golf Channel.
Organizational Context and Personnel Shifts
MS NOW underwent a rebranding after its spin-off from Comcast, forming a new company named Versant. Following this separation, MS NOW discontinued its direct relationship with NBC News, necessitating that journalists choose their primary affiliation.
Alexander is reported as the first NBC journalist to transition to MS NOW since this organizational split. Other personnel movements include Jacob Soboroff and Ken Dilanian transitioning from NBC News to MS NOW, while Steve Kornacki remained with NBC News. Willie Geist continues to work for both networks.
NBC News' Succession Plans
NBC News is anticipated to name Alexander's successor for the weekend morning program in the near future. In the interim, other NBC News talent will temporarily fill his vacated roles.