White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.

NBC News Opens Their New DC Bureau Doors for White House Correspondents’ Weekend 

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Just last year NBC News Group unveiled new state-of-the-art studios in an expansive Washington Bureau right by the Capitol.. Now, after a delay from the pandemic, the bureau is opening up for a celebration of the new space with NBChairman Cesar Conde for the White House Correspondents’ Weekend. The new bureau, located at 400 North Capitol Street, replaces the previous longstanding NBC studio at 4001 Nebraska Avenue. The old studio was there for more than 60 years, with President Eisenhower attending the building’s dedication in 1958. We look forward to celebrating at the new bureau for the next 60 years! 

Supporters of veterans’ causes gather during the White House Correspondents’ Weekend for The 2019 Garden Brunch. Jay Leno gave a lucky veteran a car!

Woman to Lead TODAY Show for the First Time, Libby Leist Tapped to Become the Shows Executive Producer

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Don Nash and his wife at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner

 

Libby Leist, the senior producer for NBC’s The TODAY Show, will be moving into her new role as executive producer for the show’s 7am and 8am hours according to a statement by NBC Chairman Andy Lack on Wednesday, January 17th. Libby will be replacing 23-year TODAY veteran Don Nash, a longtime producer for Matt Lauer, who has produced The TODAY Show since 2012. Nash will be retiring to spend more time with his family.

According to Lack, “Libby brings tremendous talent and experience to this role, having served as senior producer of the 7am hour for the last 5 years. She has led the show’s political coverage and special events, including candidate town halls and TODAY’s historic broadcast from inside the White House. Libby has spent her career at NBC News, starting as a desk assistant in DC in 2001, and later rising to become Andrea Mitchell’s State Department producer – a role for which she traveled the world – and then several senior producer roles in the bureau, including MSNBC’s The Daily Rundown and Capitol Hill producer.”

The move follows NBC’s decision to make Hoda Kotb a permanent anchor on the show alongside Savannah Guthrie this January, making this the first time The TODAY Show has an all-female duo.

Read Andy Lack’s full statement below:

The TODAY show couldn’t be in a stronger position. Savannah and Hoda have seamlessly taken their seats and we’re off to a fantastic start in 2018. This is a tribute to them and the whole team at TODAY.

With this change in anchors, and having rethought some of his priorities, Don Nash has decided to step away from his Executive Producer role at TODAY.

I cannot thank Don enough for everything he contributed in nearly 30 years at TODAY – almost half of the show’s 66-year history. He led the TODAY team through many transitions and got the show back to number one. He leaves with every aspect of the show on top and with a legacy he should be proud of.  As you all know so well, among many other skills Don is one of the best live control room producers in the business. We’ve offered him a number of roles within NBC News and NBCUniversal, and we hope he’ll stay in the family.

Don leaves a big hole at TODAY, but we are so fortunate to have extraordinary producers who can step up.

We are pleased to announce that Libby Leist is being promoted to EP of TODAY’s 7am and 8am hours. Libby brings tremendous talent and experience to this role, having served as senior producer of the 7am hour for the last 5 years. She has led the show’s political coverage and special events, including candidate town halls and TODAY’s historic broadcast from inside the White House. Libby has spent her career at NBC News, starting as a desk assistant in DC in 2001, and later rising to become Andrea Mitchell’s State Department producer – a role for which she traveled the world – and then several senior producer roles in the bureau, including MSNBC’s The Daily Rundown and Capitol Hill producer.

Libby will report to Noah, and will work closely with Tom Mazzarelli who will continue in his pivotal role for the show; as well as with Jackie Levin, EP of the 9am, Tammy Filler, EP of the 10am and Matt Carluccio, EP of weekends.

Please join me in wishing Don every success in his next endeavor and congratulating Libby on her promotion.

Andy

When Ms. Knope Came to Washington

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For the third time in the history of the televised image, Vice President Joe Biden appeared on screen in a semi-fictional universe. While Leslie Knope may have the traditional reaction when it comes to being in the presence of VP Biden, we know it’s all in fun for the councilwoman from Pawnee, Indiana.
[Read more…]

Brian Williams goes inside The Situation Room

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Brian Williams went where everyone wanted to be on the anniversary of the raid and eventual killing of Osama Bin Laden: Inside the Situation Room. In a special report on NBC’s Rock Center, Williams follows President Obama throughout the White House, recalling the events of the what Obama said is the ‘most important single day of my presidency.’
Watch a clip of the report below and learn how things were kept ‘normal’ inside the White House such as how they ate Costco and ordered pizza, so as not to alert anyone as they watched the raid unfold.

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Norah O'Donnell Heads to CBS

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Norah O'Donnell and husband Geoff Tracy at Chef Geoff's Tysons Premier Party

CBS announced that Norah O’Donnell is leaving her post as a bureau reporter for NBC to take on CBS’s chief White House correspondent position.  Additionally, O’Donnell will become the principal substitute anchor for Face the Nation.  Chip Reid, who currently holds the position of chief White House corresponent for CBS, will see his role shift to that of national correspondent “with greater editorial range,” according to CBS.

Norah O’Donnell is an Emmy award winning reporter who joined NBC News in 1999 after a stint as a reporter for Roll Call and serving as a contributor and analyst for MSNBC.

Click HERE to read Politico‘s full story.

"Meet" Welcomes Erika Masonhall to NBC

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“Meet the Press” rolled out the red carpet Wednesday night for its newest acquisition Erika Masonhall. Betsy Fischer, “Meet The Press” Executive Producer, hosted a cocktail reception at her home to introduce Washington TV and political reporters to the program’s new press representative. For some Hill reporters it was a chance to get reacquainted as Masonhall came to NBC from Capitol Hill, where she worked for several years as the communications director to Senator Joe Lieberman.

Masonhall is representing some of NBC News’s biggest franchises including “Meet the Press” and “Nightly News.” “Meet the Press” Moderator David Gregory invited the crowd of reporters and NBC executives to raise their glasses in a toast Mendenhall.

NBC News President Steve Capus, NBC News press team leader Lauren Kapp and the new Washington Bureau Chief Antoine Sanfuentes, chatted with reporters about the latest Washington buzz on a potential government shutdown, the 2012 GOP field and of course, the upcoming book from Mark Leibovich already causing an uproar on the Hill and in journalism circles.

A state visit from team Politico led by Mike Allen, Jonathan Martin, Manu Raju, and Keach Hagey.

Reporting favorites Emily Goodin, Jackie Kucinich (on her way to USA Today) Jeff Zeleny and Paul Kane enjoyed crab cakes, spring rolls and “Meet the Press” cupcakes made by Marla Romash of “Marla’s Magic.”

Jeff Zucker To Leave NBC

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Jeff Zucker plans to step down from his position as CEO at NBC upon completion of the Comcast merger.

The New York Times’ Media Decoder reports Zucker informed employees via email this morning that he would leave once the takeover is finalized and that it was not exactly his choice.

“We had both gotten to the same place,” Mr. Zucker said. “He made it clear that they wanted to move on at the close of the deal and I was completely comfortable with that.”

Zucker has been a fixture at the company for literally his entire professional career. Regardless, this sure is an action-packed Friday if you’re an executive at a cable channel/news network.

Larry King: "Hanging Up the Nightly Suspenders"

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Larry King announced on Tuesday that he will step away from his CNN chair in the fall after a remarkable 25 years on the air, earning the Guinness Book of World Records title for the longest running show with the same host in the same time slot on the same network.

“It’s time to hang up the nightly suspenders,” he told viewers, confirming what his Twitter followers learned just before showtime. As the host of the first-ever worldwide phone-in TV talk show, the breaking news reached the realm of new media as “Larry King” quickly became a trend in the social web.

While King, 76, will no longer be hosting his nightly program Larry King Live, he has signed a contract with CNN to do specials for the cable network. King hopes the new schedule will allow “more time for my wife and I to get to the kids’ Little League games.”

There will be plenty of time to head down memory lane; it’s estimated King has done about 50,000 interviews. Tammy Haddad, Larry King Live Executive Producer from 1985-1993, told NBC’s Today Show that King’s secret to success was that “people would get so comforable with him they would say things they didn’t plan on saying…he engaged them at such a level.”

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The months ahead are also sure to be full of speculation over who will fill King’s seat. Rumors hint at British talk show host Piers Morgan, but King disclosed on Tuesday’s broadcast that American Idol host Ryan Seacrest would be his choice.

MSNBC Beats CNN in Primetime

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CNN may be celebrating its 30th anniversary, but that’s about all they have to be happy about these days.

According to the latest Nielsen Media Research, MSNBC beat CNN in primetime in the first half of 2010 among both total viewers and in the key adult demographic. MSNBC also beat CNN in primetime for second quarter of 2010. Year to date, MSNBC is on track to beat CNN for the second year in a row among Adults 25-54 and for the first time ever among total viewers.

MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” is pacing to beat CNN for the year for the first time since 2000 in its time period. Meanwhile, CNN’s “Larry King Live” and “Campbell Brown” had their worst quarters ever among both Adults 25-54 and total viewers. This was CNN’s worst performance in primetime in nine years, since 2Q 2001.

CNN isn’t the only one losing viewers these days. Turns out all three major broadcast network evening news programs were down in 2Q 2010 compared to the same period last year.

White House Correspondents Challenge Press Secretary on what Obama Meant on CIA Interrogations

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Remarks Suggest President is Open to an Investigation

April 21 — Press secretary Robert Gibbs faced persistent questioning from the White House press corps, which focused primarily on whether President Obama is now open to possibly holding former Bush administration officials — including the former president — accountable for CIA interrogation methods of suspected terrorists.

In response to reporters after his meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah earlier in the day, Obama said, “If and when there needs to be a further accounting of what took place during this period, I think for Congress to examine ways that it can be done in a bipartisan fashion, outside of the typical hearing process that can sometimes break down and break it entirely along party lines, to the extent that there are independent participants who are above reproach and have credibility, that would probably be a more sensible approach to take.” [Read more…]