Posted on: Tuesday, June 11, 2002

MSNBC host gets new deal

Associated Press

"Hardball" host Chris Matthews has signed a new contract that keeps him at MSNBC through 2009.

Matthews also will be MSNBC's anchorman on election nights in 2002 and 2004, under his new deal announced last week.

The fast-talking newspaper columnist and former political aide has made "Hardball" into one of the most popular shows on a network that needs as many as it can get.

It will air exclusively on MSNBC, with no reruns airing on CNBC, as has been done recently.

Matthews will displace a nightly news program with Ashleigh Banfield. A spokeswoman said Banfield's show will move to another time slot that hasn't been determined.

Meanwhile, Fox News Channel last week announced that Alan Colmes had signed a contract extension to stay on that network's show "Hannity & Colmes."