News Anchor Ali Velshi Joins MSNBC

Ali Velshi — formerly with cable news network Al Jazeera America, which shuttered earlier this year — has joined MSNBC starting Wednesday (Oct. 19).

Before joining Al Jazeera America as host of Real Money With Ali Velshi, Velshi had been with CNN as an anchor and chief business correspondent.

In a note to staff, MSNBC President Phil Griffin did not say in what role Velchi was joining the network. “Ali’s sharp economic analysis will be a valuable asset to MSNBC as we dig deeper into every angle of the news and build on our ratings momentum in all dayparts,” Griffin said. “He will join our strong bench of talented journalists and report to Janelle Rodriguez.”

According to an MSNBC source, the network is still working out Velshi’s role. He won't have an immediate timeslot, but could join the network’s rotating host of anchors, or serve as a reporter, an analyst, or in a variety of roles. 

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.