Peter Alexander’s new MS NOW program will debut Monday, Aug. 10, the network announced on Monday, formally launching the former NBC News White House correspondent into the role he was hired for earlier this year.
“State of Play with Peter Alexander” will air weekdays at 11 a.m. ET from Washington, D.C., with Alexander also serving as MS NOW’s chief national reporter and a breaking news anchor. The hour will focus on political and national news through original reporting, interviews and analysis, per the network. Veteran MS NOW producer Sandi Cohen will serve as executive producer.
Alexander joined the network in March after more than two decades at NBC News, where he served as chief White House correspondent, co-anchored “Saturday Today” and covered four presidential administrations. His arrival marked one of the most high-profile talent acquisitions since MS NOW was spun off under Versant and began building an independent newsroom following its separation from NBC News.
In a memo to staff, Senior Vice President of Programming Greg Kordick said the Washington-based show would further position MS NOW “at the center of the 2028 election cycle,” citing the approaching midterm elections and the early stages of the next presidential race. He also touted recent ratings momentum, highlighting that every show introduced as part of the network’s revamped weekday lineup in June posted year-over-year viewership gains in July.
The launch also represents another milestone in MS NOW’s aggressive effort to build its own reporting operation after relying on NBC News’ newsgathering resources for nearly three decades. Over the past year, the network has hired dozens of reporters and editors from outlets including NBC News, CNN, The Washington Post, Politico and Bloomberg, while expanding its D.C. bureau and investing heavily in original journalism.
Alexander succeeds Antonia Hylton in the 11 a.m. weekday slot. Kordick said Hylton, who has anchored the hour over the summer and was previously co-host of “The Weekend Primetime,” will receive her own program, with more details to be announced later.
