Since the inauguration of The Fascist Felon, MSNBC experienced a ratings bounce back, with total viewership up 77 percent compared to four weeks before the inauguration — reestablishing a firm grip on second place ahead of CNN, but well behind Fox “News.”
***Please note that MSNBC may be a part of a basic cable package but if you have ‘cut the cord’ and rely on streaming, you will pay to watch the network once their free trial/introductory offer expires.
Mark Lazarus , CEO of SpinCO, the company which now controls MSNBC, named Rebecca Kutler as the network’s leader on Feb. 12. According to Lazarus, Kutler has a “big-picture strategic view” for the network and “the right leadership skills to ensure MSNBC delivers on its brand promise and is positioned for growth during a time of industry change.”
What are the Changes?
- Rebecca Kutler has cancelled Joy Reid’s evening news show, “The ReidOut;” the last episode will air sometime this week.
- MSNBC plans to replace Ms. Reid’s program with a show led by a trio of anchors: Symone Sanders Townsend, a political commentator and former Democratic strategist; Michael Steele, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee; and Alicia Menendez, the TV journalist. Currently, the trio host, The Weekend.
- After The Fascist Felon’s inauguration, Rachel Maddow returned to the network five days a week. She will leave again after TFF’s 100th day in office. However, Alex Wagner will not return to fill the vacancy. Alex Wagner will remain as an on-air correspondent.
- A likely candidate for that hour is Jen Psaki, a former White House press secretary in the Biden administration, who hosts shows on Sunday at noon and 8 p.m. on Mondays.
- MSNBC is also in talks to add Politico’s Eugene Daniels and NYU law professor Melissa Murray to the lineup .
Ms. Reid has long been one of MSNBC’s most prominent anchors. She was named anchor of MSNBC’s 7 p.m. hour in 2020 after serving as the host of “AM Joy,” a weekend talk show on the network, since 2016. Her appointment to the evening news slot was one of the first major programming decisions made by Cesar Conde, the chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, which encompassed NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC and Telemundo.
According to Mediaite, there will be additional changes to the dayside and weekend lineups — on top of the seismic shakeup in primetime.
