MSNBC picks Alex Wagner to fill Rachel Maddow's time slot

Veteran. journalist Alex Wagner will host news show for MSNBC.

Asian American journalist Alex Wagner has been named to take over MSNBC host Rachel Maddow's prime time slot on the news network starting August 16.

Wagner, 44, who has worked at CBS News, as a co-host of Showtime's “The Circus” and as an editor at The Atlantic, is on her second stint at MSNBC. She rejoined MSNBC as a fil-in host and commentator in February after hosting a show on the network a decade ago.

“I'm honored to be anchoring a key hour of television in such a critical time for American democracy,” Wagner said. In taking over the 9 p.m. slot, she will be one of  the most high-profile Asian American journalists in the country.

“In many ways, the stakes have never been higher, and there’s no better place to explore this moment than MSNBC," she said. "I’m thrilled to be coming home.”

A first-generation Asian American whose mother emigrated to the U.S. from Myanmar, Wagner wrote a book about her experiences, “FutureFace: A Family Mystery, an Epic Quest and the Secret to Belonging.”

Since leaving MSNBC 10 years ago, she has been an editor at The Atlantic, an economics reporter for HuffPost and the White House correspondent for AOL's Politics Daily. She was also the editor-in-chief of The Fader, a culture-oriented magazine, and was executive director of an advocacy organization that aimed to stop mass atrocities.

“Her unique perspective, built on more than two decades in journalism, and tenacious reporting in the U.S. and abroad will help our audiences contextualize what matters,” said MSNBC president Rashida Jones.

"Alex Wagner in the 9 PM hour was a clear choice. Her unique perspective—built on more than two decades in journalism—and tenacious reporting in the U.S. and abroad will help our audiences contextualize what matters,” Rashida Jones said in a statement. “I am looking forward to watching Alex thrive in MSNBC’s primetime lineup.”

Wagner returns to MSNBC to shore up its prime time lineup. Ratings without Maddow, the network's most popular news host, has flagged since she went to Monday nights only. 

Wanger is not a newbie. She has operated in the Washington, DC area for two decades during which she has met and interviewed the movers and shakers of the Capitol. In addition, she has a ready-made fan base from her previous daytime news-oriented show and her numerous media jobs, including her latest Showtime gig, The Circus. that follows candidates in their campaigns.

Maddow will continue to work Monday nights with Wagner working Tuesday through Friday. Maddow signed a reported $30 million per year contract extension with NBC, which gives her “the freedom to pursue a range of formats including film and TV series.”

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