Editing MSNBC (section)

=== 2025–present ===
On November 20, 2024, NBCUniversal announced its intent to spin off most of its cable networks, including MSNBC, as a new publicly traded company controlled by Comcast shareholders (later officially named [[Versant (media company)|Versant]]). It was initially unclear how the spin-off will affect MSNBC, including whether it will still be able to use NBC News resources or the NBC brand.<ref>{{cite news |title=Comcast announces plan to spin off cable channels, including MSNBC, CNBC and USA |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/comcast-announces-plan-spin-cable-channels-msnbc-cnbc-usa-rcna180928 |access-date=November 20, 2024 |publisher=NBC News |date=November 20, 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Steinberg |first1=Brian |title=MSNBC Faces Potential for Big Changes in Comcast Cable Spin-Off |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/msnbc-faces-big-changes-comcast-cable-spin-off-rachel-maddow-mark-lazarus-1236215502/ |access-date=November 20, 2024 |work=Variety |date=November 20, 2024}}</ref> Following the announcement, reports emerged of multiple unsolicited offers to buy MSNBC; CNN media analyst [[Brian Stelter]] believed it was unlikely MSNBC would be sold, as NBCUniversal never declared any intent to divest properties when announcing the spin-off (with future CEO Mark Lazarus contrarily suggesting that the spin-off planned to target further investments and acquisitions), a sale would incur taxes (the spin-off is being structured to be tax-free), and that divesting the channel might not be seen as being in the best interest of shareholders.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stelter |first=Brian |date=November 25, 2024 |title=Elon Musk floats buying MSNBC, but he's not the only billionaire who may be interested |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/25/media/elon-musk-msnbc-spinoff-cable/index.html |access-date=November 26, 2024 |publisher=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

On January 13, 2025, it was announced that ''The Rachel Maddow Show'' would temporarily return to a weeknight schedule from January 20 through April 30, to cover the [[First hundred days (United States)|first hundred days]] of the [[second presidency of Donald Trump]]. During this time, Alex Wagner would be placed on special assignment duty.<ref>{{cite news |last=Steinberg |first=Brian |date=January 13, 2025 |title=MSNBC Ups Rachel Maddow to Five Nights, Sends Alex Wagner Into Field for Trump's First 100 Days |url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/msnbc-shuffle-primetime-rachel-maddow-alex-wagner-trump-first-100-days-1236272693/ |accessdate=January 13, 2025 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> On January 14, 2025, it was announced that Jones would step down as head of MSNBC. NBCUniversal executive Mark Lazarus also stated that MSNBC would be allowed to continue using its existing brand after the spin-off.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Ted |date=January 14, 2025 |title=Rashida Jones Steps Down As MSNBC President; Rebecca Kutler To Serve As Interim Leader |url=https://deadline.com/2025/01/rashida-jones-msnbc-president-resigns-1236256358/ |access-date=February 8, 2025 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Ted |date=January 14, 2025 |title=MSNBC Will Retain Its Name After Comcast Spinoff |url=https://deadline.com/2025/01/msnbc-name-comcast-spinoff-1236256381/ |access-date=February 8, 2025 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> After acting as interim president, [[Rebecca Kutler]] was appointed president of MSNBC in February 2025.<ref>{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=Ted |date=February 12, 2025 |title=Rebecca Kutler Named President Of MSNBC After Serving In Interim Role |url=https://deadline.com/2025/02/rebecca-kutler-msnbc-president-1236287144/ |access-date=February 13, 2025 |website=Deadline}}</ref>

On February 23, 2025, it was reported that Kutler was planning a series of major changes to MSNBC's lineup, as well as plans to expand its newsgathering resources, establish a dedicated Washington bureau, and pursue [[Jacqueline Alemany]] and [[Eugene Daniels]] for on-air roles.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Ted |date=February 24, 2025 |title=MSNBC Confirms Schedule Overhaul With Jen Psaki And 'The Weekend' Anchors Getting Primetime Slots; Joy Reid's Show Canceled |url=https://deadline.com/2025/02/msnbc-new-schedule-jen-psaki-1236300098/ |access-date=February 25, 2025 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> The next day, Kutler confirmed many of the reported changes, including the cancellations of ''The ReidOut'' and ''Alex Wagner Tonight''; ''The ReidOut'' aired its last episode that night, with Joy Reid leaving the network effective immediately, and her hour filled by rotating anchors in the interim.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Ted |date=February 25, 2025 |title=Joy Reid Devotes Final MSNBC Show To Ways To Resist During Donald Trump's Presidency: "Fascism Isn't Just Coming, It's Already Here" |url=https://deadline.com/2025/02/joy-reid-msnbc-show-ends-1236300707/ |access-date=February 25, 2025 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> On May 5, MSNBC premiered ''The Weeknight,'' a new program hosted by Alicia Menendez, Symone Sanders-Townsend, and Michael Steele of ''The Weekend''. It will also substitute for ''All In'' on Mondays.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Mwachiro |first=Mark |date=2025-04-23 |title=MSNBC Announces Premiere Dates for New Primetime Shows |url=https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/msnbc-the-weeknight-the-briefing-premiere-dates/ |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=Adweek |language=en-US}}</ref> ''Alex Wagner Tonight'' was then replaced on May 6 by ''The Briefing with Jen Psaki''; Wagner will remain with MSNBC as a senior political correspondent.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":3" />

Changes were also announced to the ''MSNBC Reports'' block, with José Díaz-Balart departing the network, and Ana Cabrera, Chris Jansing, and Katy Tur's blocks each expanded to two hours. On weekends, ''Velshi'' was expanded to three hours,<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> while ''The Weekend'' was relaunched on May 3 with a new panel consisting of [[Jonathan Capehart]], Jacqueline Alemany, and Eugene Daniels. Kutler also named Daniels as MSNBC's senior Washington correspondent.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 3, 2025 |title=MSNBC's post-Joy Reid era begins with hiring of Politico veteran Eugene Daniels |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2025-03-03/politico-veteran-eugene-daniels-joins-the-post-joy-reid-era-at-msnbc-as-weekend-co-host |access-date=March 4, 2025 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Steinberg |first=Brian |date=March 4, 2025 |title=MSNBC Taps Washington Post's Jackie Alemany as 'Weekend' Co-Host |url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/msnbc-jackie-alemany-weekend-hire-1236326764/ |access-date=March 6, 2025 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> A new evening edition of ''The Weekend'' known as ''The Weekend Primetime'' premiered the same day, which is hosted by [[Ayman Mohyeldin]], [[Catherine Rampell]], [[Antonia Hylton]], and [[Michael Hastings (journalist)|Elise Jordan]] <ref name=":4" /> Meanwhile, ''The [[Katie Phang]] Show'' was cancelled, due primarily to the program being produced from a studio in Miami owned by NBCUniversal's [[Telemundo]] division, rather than New York City or Washington, D.C.; Phang will remain with MSNBC as a legal correspondent.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Steinberg |first=Brian |date=February 23, 2025 |title=Joy Reid and Alex Wagner Axed From MSNBC Lineup in Major Network Shakeup |url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/msnbc-evening-shake-up-joy-reid-alex-wagner-1236316524/ |access-date=February 23, 2025 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Weprin |first=Alex |date=February 24, 2025 |title=MSNBC's New Lineup Revealed: Joy Reid Out, Jen Psaki Promoted and 'Weekend' Hosts On the Move |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/msnbc-new-lineup-jen-psaki-the-weekend-hosts-new-shows-1236145504/ |access-date=February 24, 2025 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref>

Most of the staff that worked ''The Rachel Maddow Show'' and ''Alex Wagner Tonight'' were also to be laid off, and invited to reapply internally for new positions or request [[Severance package|severance]]. Maddow notably commented upon the changes on-air, noting that such a reorganization "has never happened at this scale [at MSNBC], in this way before when it comes to programming changes, presumably because it's not the right way to treat people, and it's inefficient and it's unnecessary and it kind of drops the bottom out of whether or not people feel like this is a good place to work". She also felt the release of Reid was "a bad mistake", and that the concurrent cancellations of three shows hosted by people of color (Reid, Wagner, and Phang) was "unnerving".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Betts |first=Anna |date=February 25, 2025 |title=Rachel Maddow staff to be let go as part of MSNBC overhaul |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/25/msnbc-layoffs-rachel-maddow |access-date=March 24, 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>