Former MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts joining CBS Atlanta

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Thomas Roberts, a former anchor for NBC, MSNBC and CNN Headline News, has joined Atlanta’s WGCL as primary anchor, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

  • Roberts, who last worked for NBC and MSNBC, left the networks in November.
  • He will replace Benn Swann, who was fired in January after station management discovered he was running a conspiracy theory website.
  • Roberts joined NBCUniversal in 2010 and served a variety of roles at both NBC and MSNBC.
  • Previously, he worked at CNN until 2007, mainly appearing on the network’s Headline News channel, now known as HLN.
  • In 2006, after coming out publicly during his tenure at CNN, Roberts became the first openly gay news anchor on a major network.
  • He was also the first openly gay person to anchor “NBC Nightly News” — albeit in a substitute basis.
  • Roberts will anchor alongside Sharon Reed.
  • Roberts is seen as a “big get” for the station, which as struggled through a series of management and talent changes as well as in the ratings.
  • There is no word on when Roberts will start, and the station has yet to confirm his hire after news of it leaked and was first reported by FTVLive.
  • The Atlanta-Constitution independently confirmed the hire with multiple anonymous sources at the station.
  • During Roberts’ time with CNN and Headline News, he was based in Atlanta.
  • Meanwhile, Swann tweeted July 2, 2018, that he is planning a “huge” announcement at Freedomfest in Las Vegas in July 14, the AJC notes.