NBC drops Ronna McDaniel
Fox News' Howard Kurtz discusses the controversial hire and ousting of the former RNC chair after uproar at NBC on 'Special Report.'
NBC News has officially terminated its short-lived relationship with former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, according to a memo sent to staff by the network's boss.
"There is no doubt that the last several days have been difficult for the News Group," NBCUniversial News Group Chairman Cesar Conde began Tuesday in a copy of the memo obtained by Fox News Digital. "After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor."
Conde acknowledged McDaniel's hiring had undermined the goal of a "cohesive and aligned" newsroom and offered an apology to his staff. McDaniel's tenure lasted just four days.
NBC NEWS LEADERSHIP UNDER FIRE OVER RONNA MCDANIEL DEBACLE
NBCUniversal News Group chairman Cesar Conde, who oversees NBC News, CNBC, and MSNBC, announced Tuesday that former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel is no longer an NBC News contributor. (Getty Images)
"I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down," Conde wrote. "While this was a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, I approved it and take full responsibility for it."
He continued, "Our initial decision was made because of our deep commitment to presenting our audiences with a wide diverse set of viewpoints and experiences, particularly during these consequential times. We continue to be committed to the principle that we must have diverse viewpoints on our programs, and to that end, we will redouble our efforts to seek voices that represent different parts of the political spectrum."
A network insider told Fox News Digital, "There was virtually no way out of this situation but to reverse the decision." They added that while MSNBC figures led the protest, it had the support of a lot of NBC staffers who thought McDaniel was unacceptable for even a non-partisan network.
NBC did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
A person close to McDaniel, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News McDaniel found out about the termination through media reports and that as of now she hasn’t heard from NBC.
MSNBC STARS SHOOT INSIDE THE TENT, ATTACK NBC FOR HIRING EX-RNC CHAIR RONNA MCDANIEL: ‘INEXPLICABLE’
Former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel had an icy reception in her debut as an NBC political analyst on Sunday's "Meet the Press." (Screenshot/NBC)
NBC's announcement last Friday of McDaniel's hiring sparked intense backlash from the network's biggest stars.
Chuck Todd kicked off the avalanche of on-air attacks towards McDaniel following her NBC debut on Sunday's "Meet the Press."
"I think our bosses owe you an apology for putting you in this situation, because I don't know what to believe," Todd told "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker. "She has credibility issues that she still has to deal with. Is she speaking for herself or is she speaking on behalf of who's paying her?"
NBC's Chuck Todd kicked off the on-air onslaught of their new colleague Ronna McDaniel, who appeared only once as an NBC contributor on Sunday's installment of "Meet the Press." (Getty Images)
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Rachel Maddow, MSNBC's biggest star, confirmed to viewers Monday that McDaniel "will not be on MSNBC."
"The fact that Ms. McDaniel is on the payroll at NBC News – to me that is inexplicable," Maddow said. "I mean you wouldn't hire a wise guy, you wouldn't hire a made man, like a mobster to work at a D.A.'s office, right? You wouldn't hire a pickpocket to work as a TSA screener. And so I find the decision to put her on the payroll inexplicable, and I hope they will reverse their decision."
Other MSNBC hosts, including Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, Nicolle Wallace, Joy Reid, Jen Psaki and Lawrence O'Donnell joined the chorus of in-house critics with on-air lashings at their employer.
Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.