Alex Wallace, SVP NBC News who oversaw its evening newscast, Sunday Beltway show and Washington bureau, is out after a 10-year run at the division, one day after NBC News Group chairman Andy Lack held his first townhall meeting at the news operation.
This morning Wallace tweeted, “Thank you @NBCNews for a great decade. Onward.”
Wallace’s exit, announced to staff this morning, is effective immediately, though the move has been in the works for a while. Wallace had been named NBC News president Deborah Turness’ deputy in January of last year, as part of a major restructuring done by Turness, in the pre-Lack’s-back era. Back then, Turness said in a memo the appointment was part of her plan to “future-proof” the division.
Lack, being much more of a hands-on editorial leader of the division than was his predecessor Pat Fili-Krushel, Wallace’s position now was perceived as an extra layer of management, according to a source with knowledge of the situation who did not wish to be quoted. Lack was named to oversee the division in March.
“NBC Nightly News” now reports to Janelle Rodriguez, who came to NBC News as SVP Editorial in January, from CNN, where she had led all dayside and weekend programming for the cable news network.
Meet The Press” and the Washington bureau will report directly to Turness as the election cycle heats up.
NBC News declined to comment.