Alex Wagner ready to take over most of Maddow hour on MSNBC

By DAVID BAUDER
AP Media Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — MSNBC’s Alex Wagner knows it’s an unorthodox arrangement, but she’s excited about her new role in MSNBC’s prime time. Starting Tuesday, she’ll anchor the 9 p.m. Eastern hour vacated by the network’s biggest star, Rachel Maddow, four nights a week. Maddow is working once a week, on Monday nights, part of her unusual new deal with the network that allows her to step back from the daily grind to produce things like podcasts and books. Wagner says it would be foolish to duplicate what Maddow does, but she’s taking inspiration from her predecessor’s investigative rigor and getting ready to make her own stamp on the hour.