Data guru Steve Kornacki is leaving MSNBC to stay with NBC News full-time, becoming the cable network’s first big exit as it severs its ties with 30 Rock.
Famous for his friendly explanations of sometimes obtuse data points during election cycles, Kornacki will now become NBC’s chief data analyst and work across its news and sports divisions.
Kornacki, 44, frequently appears on NBC’s Meet the Press, and he has also popped up on NBC’s sports broadcasts, including Football Night in America and Sunday Night Football along with its coverage of the Olympics and the Kentucky Derby. He was previously a national political correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC.
The major exit comes as MSNBC and NBC separate their respective newsrooms as part of Comcast decision to spin off most of its cable networks. The decision has left the fates of multiple dual-role anchors, such as Today and Morning Joe mainstay Willie Geist, up in the air.