Peter Alexander Joins MS NOW as Daytime Anchor

MS NOW, on Monday morning, announced that Peter Alexander is joining the news outlet as a Washington D.C.-based anchor, chief national reporter, and breaking news anchor.

Alexander, the now former chief White House correspondent for NBC News and co-anchor of Saturday Today, will helm MS NOW’s 11 a.m. ET hour, which is being vacated by Ana Cabrera. He will also contribute to Versant’s larger portfolio, including sports and lifestyle programming. 

In a memo to staffers, MS NOW president Rebecca Kutler said Alexander is joining the network “at a time when we are seeing significant momentum.” She added, “With the midterm elections quickly approaching and the 2028 presidential election already on the horizon, we look forward to him building a daily relationship with the loyal MS NOW audience.”

Alexander bid his NBC News family and audiences goodbye this past weekend during his final stint as a Saturday Today co-anchor, saying he wanted to spend more time with his two daughters and “challenge himself with something new.”

The award-winning journalist has been an NBC News fixture since 2004, joining as a 27-year-old graduate of Northwestern University’s famed Medill School of Journalism. An assignment to Cuba as Hurricane Ivan swept through the island nation proved to be his big break, scoring a must-watch exclusive: an interview with Cuba’s then-leader, Fidel Castro, during the hurricane.

Alexander has covered major domestic and international stories, including leading breaking news coverage for NBC News during the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and the start of the war in Iran.

He has anchored every NBC News broadcast except Dateline. His versatility in covering lifestyle stories has also seen him report from the recently concluded Winter Olympics, where he created short- and long-form content for NBC News, a skill set MS NOW and Versant want to employ. 

Read Kutler’s memo to staffers below.

Team, 

I am excited to welcome award-winning veteran journalist Peter Alexander to MS NOW. He will serve as the new anchor of the 11 a.m. hour, as our chief national reporter, and as a breaking news anchor. He will also contribute to sports and lifestyle programming across the Versant portfolio. 

As you may have seen, Peter signed off from his role as chief White House correspondent for NBC News and co-anchor of Saturday Today over the weekend. For more than two decades, Peter has built a reputation for his professionalism, intrepid reporting, and sharp questioning of presidents of both parties. He is one of the most respected and beloved journalists in the Washington press corps, and we are honored to have him join our newsroom. 

A recipient of the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Political Journalism and a member of teams honored with prestigious Edward R. Murrow and Emmy Awards, Peter has reported on some of the most consequential news stories of the last two decades, both here at home and abroad. From major political events, including four presidencies and campaigns, to moments that shaped our collective experience, like the “Miracle on the Hudson,” the tragic tsunami in Indonesia, conflicts overseas, and much more.

Most recently, Peter led NBC News’ breaking news coverage of the capture of Venezuela’s leader Nicolás Maduro, anchored live coverage of the start of the war in Iran, and conducted the first live interview with the Iranian Foreign Minister. 

Whether behind the anchor desk or reporting from the field, Peter is also the rare journalist who can straddle lifestyle, politics, and breaking news with ease. As co-anchor of Saturday Today, Peter has demonstrated this unique versatility. He brought compassion and humanity to the weekends, building a connection with viewers, all while leading the network’s White House coverage.

He has covered four Olympics for NBC, including the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games. We’re excited he will be able to bring his avid fandom and rich sports knowledge to programming across Versant’s portfolio.

Peter is no stranger to MS NOW audiences, and he joins our growing newsroom of award-winning reporters and lineup of trusted anchors at a time when we are seeing significant momentum. With the midterm elections quickly approaching and the 2028 presidential election already on the horizon, we look forward to him building a daily relationship with the loyal MS NOW audience as our newest anchor and chief national reporter. 

We’re officially three months in as MS NOW at Versant. As we build momentum, talented journalists like Peter want to join us. Stay tuned, there’s much more to come.

Rebecca