NBC News on Monday named “Top Story with Tom Llamas” executive producer Matt Frucci as the new executive producer of “NBC Nightly News,” continuing his pairing with the newly minted evening news anchor.
Frucci starts Oct. 6 after a return from paternity leave, and he will produce both “Nightly News” and the NBC News Now streaming show. His appointment comes four months after Llamas took over the anchor chair following Lester Holt’s decision to step down.
It also follows Versant’s hiring of “Nightly News” executive producer Meghan Rafferty as its vice president of news standards for the recently spun-off MSNBC and CNBC networks.
“Matt knows ‘Nightly’ inside and out,” Executive Vice President of Programming Janelle Rodriguez said in a memo to staff. “As EP of the weekend editions for more than six years, he led the show to multiple season wins. He has also served as EP for countless NBC News primetime specials and breaking news coverage, including the Emmy-winning reporting of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.”
Frucci previously worked at CNN, where he helped develop Jake Tapper’s show “The Lead” and re-launch one of CNN’s various morning shows, “New Day.” He joined NBC News in 2016.
Rodriguez thanked producer Ben Mayer for working through the transition period, saying he would stay on as the show’s senior broadcast producer, and NBC’s executive editor for diversity, equity and inclusion, Omnika Thompson, for filling in on “Top Story.”
Rodriguez also commended the show’s gains in the 25-54 advertiser-covered demographic, saying it beat ABC’s “World News Tonight” on multiple nights. The show, however, still trails the ABC broadcast most nights in the demo and in total viewers.
