The NBCUniversal news operation is launching NBC News Custom Productions, an editorial unit devoted to finding ways to pair advertisers with a growing array of content options made for streaming-video outlets.
In a memo issued Monday, NBC News Digital staffers were told that the company plans to explore streaming opportunities for Today and intends to shift some employees assigned to video “to focus on preparing for a streaming experience.” A person familiar with the matter says NBC News is mulling such an initiative, but cautioned that it is in its earliest days and is not guaranteed to come to fruition.
Clearly, former U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill’s political instincts haven’t dulled since her defeat in 2018. That’s also apparent on the air, where she has emerged as a colorful and blunt NBC News analyst through President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial and the presidential primaries.
The new initiative includes a 24/7 live-blog on nbcnews.com with the latest updates from the network’s medical, business, political and investigative reporters.
President Donald Trump attacked Comcast during a White House meeting on empowering African Americans. During a meeting in the Cabinet Room with prominent African American media and sports figures, Trump noted that an NBC News reporter had left the room. “She just left from NBC because it’s owned by Comcast, and they’re the racists,” Trump said, as participants in the meeting clapped.
Exclusives
NBC News and MSNBC plan to be among the first and last news outlets focused on the New Hampshire primary, starting live coverage this evening on Chris Matthews’ Hardball and Chris Hayes’ All In and then continuing through Wednesday morning.
Lester Holt, Chuck Todd, Hallie Jackson, Noticias Telemundo’s Vanessa Hauc and the Nevada Independent’s Jon Ralston will moderate the Democratic debate in Las Vegas on Feb. 19 in Las Vegas, sponsored by NBC News and MSNBC.
NBC News is launching a new in-house production studio, called NBC News Studios, which will produce documentary and scripted programming geared toward “emerging platforms.” The new unit has deals to produce docs with Focus Features and scripted TV shows with Blumhouse Productions, to be based on Dateline segments.
Comcast confirmed plans to launch a global news platform with Sky News at the launch of its highly anticipated streaming offering Peacock. Variety understands that the new channel will be a brand new service that exists independent of Sky News and NBC News, with bases likely to be set up in London and New York and a team of journalists around the world. The new venture, which is as yet untitled, could contend with the likes of CNN and Bloomberg.
NBC News is shutting down Peacock Productions, its unscripted production unit that focused primarily on documentaries, reality series and news specials. “NBC News is shuttering Peacock Productions, effective March 2,” a spokesperson for NBC News said. “NBC News is shifting its documentary strategy to an entirely new model, consistent with industry trends, and unfortunately the existing operation is no longer viable. We are working with affected employees to help find positions around NBCUniversal.”
Stephanie Ruhle wants to do the type of business-news coverage that’s aimed more at the supermarket, and less at the stock market. Ruhle, the MSNBC anchor who has seen her profile grow during a 9 a.m. program as well as an hour co-hosted with Ali Velshi, has been named senior business correspondent at NBC News, and says she wants to take coverage of corporations in a different direction than one might see elsewhere on the cable set-top box.
A special “Meet the Press” deep dive on disinformation in politics reminiscent of last December’s hour on climate change, is scheduled for Dec. 29. Moderator Chuck Todd: “I’m not going to pretend to have the answers,” Todd said in an interview. “This is a spotlight. I hope my guests have good ideas. This to me is about sounding the alarm.”
NBC News has created a new editorial team to report on issues related to U.S. election security and voting called “Vote Watch.” Most news organizations were caught off guard by the 2016 election manipulation attempts by foreign governments. Even though NBC News already invests heavily in investigative coverage on things like misinformation, cybersecurity and national security, the outlet wants to get ahead of these issues even more before 2020.
On top of a “No NBC NewsGuild” Instagram account and a bare-bones website, employees have posted flyers around the network’s office in Manhattan: “a massive, college dorm-esque battle of the posters.”
Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday called in to the Today show to reveal that her absence this week is due to an eye injury. The morning show co-anchor explained that the injury came while playing with her 2-year-old son, Charley.
Gretchen Morgenson, the veteran investigative reporter who has won multiple journalism prizes for her coverage of Wall Street, is joining the investigative unit of NBC News.
NEW YORK (AP) — A day after four Democratic presidential candidates called on NBC News to support an independent investigation into its handling of sexual misconduct, the issue remained offstage […]
Sinclair Broadcast Group appears to have skipped Tuesday’s impeachment hearings in the House of Representatives. Stephanie Ruhle of NBC was happy to jump into its abandoned seat. She posted a picture of her press pass on the vacant Sinclair seat on Twitter. “Well–no risk of @WeAreSinclair popping up with comments,” she tweeted. “On this historic day, their decision not to come has resulted in me getting a seat.”
Citing harassment allegations at the network, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren urged its parent, Comcast, to conduct an independent review.
NBC News and Meet the Press are launching County to County, a new project to cover the 2020 election from the vantage point of five key counties in swing states. Meet the Press moderator and political director Chuck Todd and reporters Vaughn Hillyard and Dasha Burns will provide coverage from Milwaukee County in Wisconsin, Kent County in Michigan, Beaver County in Pennsylvania, Miami-Dade County in Florida and Maricopa County in Arizona.
NBC News President Noah Oppenheim has denied any knowledge of Matt Lauer’s alleged behavior before the human resourses complaint that precipitated his quick termination in November 2017.
Megyn Kelly, Gretchen Carlson, Greta Van Susteren and other leading women in TV news called on Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and the board of directors to launch an independent investigation of sexual harassment issues at NBC News.
“There is no additional investigation being launched,” a spokesperson says. “We are very confident in the report that was conducted.”
NBC News staffers, including star reporter Pete Williams, on Thursday peppered NBC News President Noah Oppenheim about explosive revelations from Ronan Farrow’s new book casting network executives as dismissive and neglectful of sexual-misconduct allegations.
NBC Chairman Andrew Lack, in a memo sent to network staff on Wednesday, said the network hadn’t known of Matt Lauer’s behavior with Brooke Nevils until the day before he was fired. An internal investigation uncovered no claims or settlements associated with allegations of inappropriate conduct by Lauer before he was fired, Lack said.
