Al Jazeera America continues its string of big, splashy hires. The latest addition is former ‘NBC nightly News” weekend anchor John Seigenthaler, who will serve as the primetime news anchor.
Seiganthaler was an 11-year veteran of NBC News, reporting for all of its major programs and anchoring on NBC, CNBC and MSNBC. He reported on 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2004 London bombings and a slew of other stories for the company during those years.
He left NBC in not-so-positive terms in 2007, and became CEO of Seigenthaler Public Relations-NY.
“I’m proud to join a respected worldwide news organization that is committed to delivering high quality, objective and balanced investigative journalism,” Seigenthaler said in a statement. “While other networks and newspapers are cutting back, Aljazeera is growing. It’s exciting to be part of the launch of this unique cable news channel.”
Details below.
FORMER NBC NIGHTLY NEWS ANCHOR JOHN SEIGENTHALER JOINS AL JAZEERA AMERICA
Award-Winning Journalist To Anchor Prime Time Evening News
NEW YORK – (August 8, 2013) – Al Jazeera America, the new American news channel that will launch on Aug. 20, today announced that former NBC news anchor John Seigenthaler will join the channel as prime time news anchor.
Seigenthaler will anchor the primetime news program that will be broadcast from Al Jazeera America’s studio in New York City.
“With more than 30 years in journalism, John is a veteran reporter who has covered international, national, and local stories that have affected us all,” said David Doss, Al Jazeera America’s senior vice president for news programming. “His extensive experience in journalism will be an extraordinarily valuable addition to the Al Jazeera America team and I’m truly looking forward to seeing him behind the anchor’s desk each night.”
Seigenthaler is best known for his more than 11 years at NBC News including 9 years as the anchor of the top-rated NBC Nightly News weekend edition. He also appeared on Today, Dateline-NBC, Meet The Press and anchored news programs on CNBC and MSNBC including The News on CNBC, Morning Line, Lockup and MSNBC Investigates. Seigenthaler has reported from the scene of major stories around the world including the London terror attacks in 2005; the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka; the bombings in Taba, Egypt in 2004;, Hurricane Katrina in 2005; and 9/11 in New York.
“I’m proud to join a respected worldwide news organization that is committed to delivering high quality, objective and balanced investigative journalism,” Seigenthaler said. “While other networks and newspapers are cutting back, Aljazeera is growing. It’s exciting to be part of the launch of this unique cable news channel.”
Seigenthaler began his journalism career in local TV news at WNGE-TV (now ABC affiliate WKRN-TV). He also worked as a reporter and anchor at WSMV-TV in Nashville, TN and KOMO-TV in Seattle. Since 2008, he has been the CEO of Seigenthaler Public Relations-NY.
Seigenthaler has received numerous awards for his work in journalism including the Robert F. Kennedy Television News Award, two Emmy Awards, a National Headliner Award, an American Bar Association Award, an Iris Award and the TV News Award from the President’s Committee on the Disabled.
Seigenthaler is a former board member of the Radio and Television News Directors Foundation, and a current member of the Duke University Alumni Magazine advisory board, the board of visitors at the Middle Tennessee State University College of Mass Communications and the board of the Silvermine Art Center in New Canaan, CT.
ABOUT AL JAZEERA AMERICA
Al Jazeera America, the new U.S. news channel that will launch on August 20, will provide both domestic and international news for American audiences. It will be headquartered in New York City with bureaus in 12 cities across the United States.Visit Al Jazeera America online at http://www.aljazeera.com/america for the latest updates.You can also like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/aljazeeraamerica, follow us on Twitter @AJAM (www.twitter.com/ajam) and join the conversation using #AlJazeeraAmerica.