MSNBC

Craig Melvin Says Farewell to His MSNBC Viewers

By A.J. Katz 

NBC News anchor Craig Melvin isn’t leaving NBC News, but he is leaving the 11 a.m. hour on MSNBC.

Melvin officially signed off from Craig Melvin Reports on Thursday.

A rotating lineup of anchors will lead the network’s 11 a.m. hour until his permanent replacement is announced. Melvin will remain the news anchor for NBC’s Today—and continue to co-host Today’s Third Hour (9 a.m.) on weekday mornings.

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He became emotional while saying farewell at the end of today’s broadcast.

“I want to take a quick moment to thank my parents. My mom cultivated a curiosity … ” Melvin said, before choking up. “… that led to me being here. My dad, who taught me hard work pays off. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. And my wife Lindsay, who has endured long days and short nights—the glue who keeps it all together.

“And thank you for letting me into your homes, your businesses and your vehicles for an hour everyday. I appreciate you seeing the value of journalism.”

Melvin’s departure from MSNBC is meant to lighten his daily workload. The veteran journalist joined MSNBC as a dayside anchor and NBC News as a correspondent in 2011 after a stint at WRC-TV, Washington D.C.’s NBC station. In 2016, Melvin was named anchor of MSNBC’s 11 a.m. hour and served as co-host of NBC’s Saturday Today. In Sept. 2018, he left Saturday Today to join the flagship edition of Today as its news anchor. He then joined Today’s Third Hour as a permanent co-host in Jan. 2019. That’s four hours of live television, including his MSNBC hour, each weekday before Noon ET; not to mention serving as host of Dateline Extra, the syndicated version of NBC’s true crime series.

Time for a change.

Below is the clip of Melvin saying farewell to his MSNBC audience, followed by 12 p.m. host Andrea Mitchell with some kind words of her own for Melvin. Those start at around 1:10 in.

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