“My family wasn’t thrilled about me doing this,” said NBC News chairman Andy Lack about his return to the network. “The stress levels get a little wacky.”
Lack sat down with The Daily Beast’s Lloyd Grove in one of his first interviews since returning to NBC earlier this year. “It was kind of an out-of-body experience to walk back into an office I’d been in for eight years, but not in for about 15,” said Lack.
- On the turmoil at NBC prior to his return.
“I thought it was a little exaggerated—a little bit of a pile-on effect. It was kind of NBC’s turn in the barrel. I’ve been in the barrel before. No question, NBC was in the crosshairs. But that didn’t give me pause.”
- On whether Brian Williams could anchor a show on MSNBC:
“We’re just not looking at it. There always could be, would be, because he’s Brian, but that’s not where the focus is.”
- On the CNBC debate which led to the RNC pull out of a GOP debate on NBC:
“I think it’s going to happen. We’ve had a couple of conversations. The CNBC debate “had nothing to do with anybody at NBC News… and we felt badly about the situation. CNBC is not part of NBC News… Shit happens.”
- On MSNBC’s Chris Hayes:
“Chris is a good guy and he’s doing a good show.”
- On the coverage of Donald Trump:
“Donald Trump is leading our news coverage, and everybody else’s, because Donald Trump has cut a path through the Republican Party that is profound right now. The coverage we’re giving to Trump is arguably 24-7 because he’s got 40 percent in the polls.”
Much more here, at The Daily Beast.