MSNBC hires Carlos Watson as a news anchor…

Here’s the release…

CARLOS WATSON JOINS MSNBC AS DAYSIDE ANCHOR

NEW YORK – March 31, 2009 – Carlos Watson joins MSNBC as a dayside anchor, it was announced by Phil Griffin, President of MSNBC. Watson, who has been a contributor to the network for the last several months, will offer his unique take on politics and the news of the day. Watson will also continue to appear on “Morning Joe.”

“Carlos has been a fresh and distinctive voice on the network and I’m thrilled to welcome him to MSNBC,” says Griffin.

“We’re living through a dynamic moment in American politics,” Watson says. “And MSNBC is redefining cable news. I’m excited to join them, especially at this historic time.”

Watson’s television career is built on a broad and impressive background. In 2003, Watson was recruited into television, first as host of CNBC’s “The Edge with Carlos Watson” and later as one of CNN’s main political analysts. Best known for his coverage of the 2004 presidential election, Watson also wrote CNN.com’s main political column. In 2006, Watson founded his own production company to develop Conversations with Carlos Watson, a Hearst-backed series of celebrity interview specials. The show earned an Emmy, a Gracie and two Telly Awards.

A Harvard honors graduate, Watson got his start in politics serving as campaign manager and chief of staff for Florida Representative Daryl Jones and managing Bill Clinton’s 1992 Election Day effort in Miami-Dade County.

After graduating from Stanford Law, where he was editor of the Law Review, Watson joined the business world, advising Fortune 500 companies for McKinsey & Co. In 1997 he founded his own company, Achieva College Prep Services, an educational consultancy lauded in Time and Forbes. Watson sold the start-up to The Washington Post Company in 2002.