After 22 years, a veteran anchor is reportedly signing off from NBC News for good. Their long run included 15 years covering the White House and eight years waking up early as co-anchor of Saturday’s Today.
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On Saturday’s Today show, Peter Alexander described the program as “literally my happy place,” but also spoke about the demanding weekly commute from his home in the Washington area to New York each Friday for the Saturday broadcast.
“I’ve been away from home more than 80 nights in the last seven months, more than 220 Friday nights, 220 Friday nights away from my family in the last seven years,” Alexander explained to viewers on the show on March 28. “So it’s a limited window before my daughters lose interest in hanging out with me. It’s happened quick. I’m eager to carve out a better balance between my personal and professional lives and to challenge myself with something new.”
“Peter has been a trusted presence with great range across NBC News, and a friend to so many across the Washington Bureau, Today, and the broader NBC News team.
We are grateful for all his contributions and wish him the best,” Chloe Arensberg, senior vice president and Washington bureau chief, and Matt Carluccio, executive producer of Today, said in a joint statement per Variety.
Insiders Claim Peter Alexander Plans to Move to Another Network
While Alexander cited personal reasons for his departure, sources claim he is expected to join MS NOW, a former sister network of NBC News. Page Six also reported that, according to their sources, Alexander was tired of being passed over for top jobs at more high-profile shows like Today and Nightly News.
“He’d be the first to say he’s had ambitions for the top anchor jobs, and with all of those spots recently filled, he’s going to try something new,” an alleged insider told the outlet.
Alexander joined NBC News in 2004, covering stories across the U.S. and globally. In 2012, he was assigned to cover the Republican presidential race and was later named a White House correspondent that same year.
Alexander was a national correspondent from 2014 to 2016. In 2017, he returned to covering the White House and was later named co-chief White House correspondent alongside Kristen Welker. He continued in this role when he became co-anchor of Saturday’s Today. He eventually became the sole chief White House correspondent after Welker was promoted to moderator of Meet the Press.