Alec Baldwin could be heading to MSNBC. The Hollywood Reporter confirms that the 30 Rock actor is in talks to host a weekly program on the cable news network, which has recently been beleaguered by declining ratings.
It's unclear when the 55-year-old's series would air, or what it would be called, but Mediaite, which first reported the story, posits it would land in the Friday primetime block. Talks could still fall through.
Baldwin's name has come up at the network in the past, and he is no stranger to the NBC family. In addition to his seven seasons on the sitcom, which sees him nominated for lead actor again at this year's Emmys, Baldwin signed a two-year overall deal with Universal Television on the eve of the 30 Rock finale. The New York Times even reported his name was floated as a possible addition to the broadcast network's late night lineup when Jimmy Fallon was confirmed to move to The Tonight Show.
Baldwin's rep declined to comment on the matter, but it the left-skewing network would not be a stretch for the actor. Politically outspoken, he was once rumored as a possible candidate in the 2013 New York City mayoral race.
Reporting has also emerged as a recent passion of Baldwin's. He hosts a weekly WNYC podcast of interviews called Here's the Thing. And HBO will premiere his documentary, Seduced and Abandoned, later this year. He and James Toback filmed the project, which features interviews with actors and directors about the risks and reward of big budget filmmaking, at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012.
MSNBC, which hit a ratings low in the second quarter of 2013, has seen several shifts in its primetime roster this year -- most notably the addition of Chris Hayes at 8 p.m.
