The recent departure of a top NBC News correspondent has some of his new colleagues at MS NOW scratching their heads.
Peter Alexander, NBC’s chief White House correspondent and weekend “Today” co-host, revealed to viewers late last month that he was leaving the Peacock network after 22 years. Days later, MS NOW announced that it had tapped Alexander to become its chief national reporter and anchor its 11 a.m. ET time slot, which will be vacated by Ana Cabrera, who will leave in June.
“A lot of us are fed up with Peter Alexander,” an MS Now insider told Fox News Digital.
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Longtime NBC News correspondent Peter Alexander is joining MS NOW as a correspondent and anchor.
(Getty Images)
MS NOW, formerly known as MSNBC, was formerly a sister network of NBC News until their parent company Comcast divested its cable networks to a new company, Versant. Before the corporate separation, NBC News and MSNBC shared news gathering resources, studio space and equipment. And many talents, mainly NBC correspondents, appeared on both networks. Alexander was among those who appeared frequently on MSNBC and additionally served as a fill-in anchor.
While MSNBC has always been known for its liberal leanings, the network has leaned more on its progressive identity under MS NOW.
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“It doesn’t make a ton of sense; he’s a solid reporter, it’s just that he’s never leaned on the whole perspective thing,” said an MS Now insider. “If you had an empty slot in the now resurrected MS, I don’t think anyone would bet their money on Peter Alexander.”
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However, a spokesperson for MS Now said that Alexander “doesn’t need to lean on a point of view” and is “not hosting an opinion show.”
“His coming here is a sign of what MS Now is building and creating,” an MS Now spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
MS NOW chief Rebecca Kutler similarly praised Alexander’s journalism, saying in a memo to staff, “Whether behind the anchor desk or reporting from the field, Peter is the rare journalist who can seamlessly navigate lifestyle, politics and breaking news.”
Peter Alexander asked the question at a White House press briefing.
Alexander wanted out of NBC News, wanting to spend more time with his family.
“I’ve been away from home over 80 nights in the last seven months. Over 200 Friday nights away from my family in the last seven years,” Alexander told viewers on his final NBC broadcast late last month before his MS NOW gig was announced. “So, before my daughters lose interest in hanging out with me during this limited window, I’m looking forward to striking a good balance between my personal and professional life.”
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Alexander’s new colleagues are confused by the timing of the announcement, the insider said. The corporate split from NBC took place last fall when MSNBC rebranded itself as MS NOW and several NBC reporters — including Jacob Soboroff, Ken Dilanian, Ali Vitali, Ryan Reilly and Brandi Zadrozny — joined the liberal network, which has also hired reporters from other outlets as part of its launch.
“If he wanted to host a show on MSNBC, I doubt it would have been five years ago,” an MS NOW employee told Fox News Digital, suggesting he previously resisted joining the cable network to maintain an image as a straight news reporter.
MS NOW, starting the day with the more partisan “Morning Joe” before moving into the afternoon with an overtly left-wing thought program and a mix of center-left daytime broadcasts in primetime with hosts like Nicole Wallace, Jane Psaki, Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes.
Peter Alexander told NBC viewers that he was “leaving the network to better balance my personal and professional life.”
Another factor is the lack of airtime that current NBC news reporters get now. After missing out on various shows on MS NOW, they’re now back to NBC News specialties like “Today,” “NBC Nightly News” as well as their streaming service, facing the reality that there just isn’t enough linear TV airtime to go around.
“There’s always this endless battle with network reporters when you have so little real TV to get on TV,” the MS NOW insider said. “MSNBC was a real place to put their stuff; there was a home for NBC reporters.”
A former NBC News producer told Fox News Digital that “no one” would have willingly jumped ship from NBC News to its progressive cable arm just a few years ago, but things have changed dramatically.
“NBC News is now a tomb of impeccable leadership and nothing but budget cuts, pay cuts, and boring, cheaply produced programs. Its soul is gone,” said a former NBC employee.
The ex-NBC producer added, “They will never recover from losing MSNBC and CNBC. It says a lot that employees are eating up space for a cable network whose days are believed to be numbered.”
Neither Alexander nor NBC News responded to requests for comment.
Original article source: Peter Alexander jumping ship for MS NOW signals NBC talent desperate for more airtime, insiders say
