‘State of Play with Peter Alexander’ to launch on MS NOW Aug. 10

Former NBC News anchor and correspondent Peter Alexander will launch “State of Play with Peter Alexander” on MS NOW on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, expanding his duties at the network as chief national reporter and a breaking news anchor.

The weekday program will air at 11 a.m. ET from Washington, D.C., with coverage of the day’s major political and national stories. MS NOW said the show will combine Alexander’s reporting with interviews and analysis intended to explain the broader significance of developments in Washington and across the country.

Alexander exited NBC News earlier in 2026 with plans to shift to MS NOW, which was spun off from NBCUniversal in January 2026.

Alexander joined MS NOW after 22 years at NBC, where he served as chief White House correspondent and co-anchor of the Saturday edition of “Today.” His move to MS NOW and plans to anchor the network’s 11 a.m. hour were first reported in March.

A slate of other MS NOW dayside programming shifts was announced in May 2026, though that announcement did not include a name or format for Alexander’s show. 

The 11 a.m. is currently occupied by an hour of “MS NOW Reports.”

During his time at NBC News, Alexander covered four presidential administrations, national campaigns and major breaking news. His work has been recognized with the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Political Journalism, Edward R. Murrow Awards and Emmy Awards.

Sandi Cohen will serve as executive producer of “State of Play.” MS NOW announced her appointment in May.

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According to key art released by Versant, Alexander’s show will use a blend of red, blues and cream, create a rough approximately of the familiar red, white and blue color scheme. The show title, at least in the initial materials released, is set in all-caps sans-serif with “of” sandwiched between two horizontal lines.

Below this is the “with Peter Alexander” line set in serif that other MS NOW programs have also been leveraging for other shows.

Other elements include a line-art White House elevation and texture effect on the cream background.

Meanwhile, in the promo the network released, Alexander is shown walking into a set decked out with virtual set extensions that appear to combine an emphasis on linear red, white and blue elements and the repeated use of fluted columns borrowed from Washington, D.C.’s architecture.

Other elements from classical architecture, including walls and windows, are also incorporated into the design.