Judy Woodruff Was Reportedly ‘Miffed and Frustrated’ After Learning PBS Colleague Yamiche Alcindor Scored an Interview With Biden

Tensions have been brewing within PBS between two of the network’s top stars over a potential interview with President Joe Biden, according to a report on Tuesday.

According to Wednesday’s Politico Playbook:

Last year, PBS anchor and then-White House correspondent YAMICHE ALCINDOR was slated to conduct an on-camera interview exclusively with the president sometime around July 4, a date the White House was targeting for its celebration of 100 million Covid-19 vaccinations.

But the scheduled sit-down caught some at the news organization off guard. Three PBS insiders and people with knowledge of the incident said fellow PBS anchor JUDY WOODRUFF and some other staff at PBS’ nightly NewsHour program were miffed and frustrated when they learned that Alcindor had secured an interview for the network’s Sunday program, Washington Week.

Woodruff had requested an interview with Biden since he took office but it wasn’t granted during the president’s first year, according to the report.

Although “there was no explicit policy dictating Woodruff should get the first interview with Biden, it was understood that PBS shows shouldn’t be competing with one another for a sit-down,” according to Politico.

PBS declined to comment for Politico’s report.

Alcindor left her White House role for PBS NewsHour in December. However, she is still the moderator of Washington Week. Later this year, she will be a Washington correspondent for NBC News. She is currently a political contributor at NBC and MSNBC.