MSNBC chief Rashida Jones steps down as network prepares for spinoff
By Brian Stelter, CNN
New York (CNN) — Rashida Jones is stepping down as president of MSNBC and one of her top lieutenants, Rebecca Kutler, is taking over as interim network president.
The change atop the progressive news network comes as its corporate parent, Comcast, prepares to spin off MSNBC and other cable channels into a separate publicly traded company.
Mark Lazarus, the future CEO of the spin-off, said in a Tuesday morning memo that Jones had “expertly navigated MSNBC through a years-long, unrelenting and unprecedented news cycle, all while driving the network to record viewership and making investments in nonlinear businesses.”
Now, Lazarus said, he will collaborate with Kutler “as we shape our collective future together.”
Among the looming questions: Will MSNBC alter its approach to political coverage as President-elect Donald Trump regains power? Once the spinoff takes effect, will the network move out of its iconic Rockefeller Center office space?
Jones’ decision to leave resolves one of the other questions that has been looming over the network. Oliver Darcy of Status reported last month that she was mulling an exit in early 2025. Jones took charge around the same time four years ago, reflecting the fact that TV news transitions often coincide with presidential election and inauguration cycles.
Jones was a historic pick – the first Black person to run a major television news network. She recruited new hosts like Jen Psaki and prioritized digital expansions of the MSNBC brand. In 2022, she hired Kutler from CNN.
Kutler spent 20 years at CNN, first as an intern for one of anchor Wolf Blitzer’s programs in the Washington, DC, bureau. She later became a key producer, launched several shows for CNN, oversaw a roster of analysts and commentators, and headed up programming for CNN+, the short-lived streaming news service.
At MSNBC, Kutler “has been a catalyst for growth across our digital, social, and audio platforms, resulting in across-the-board record audience engagement,” Lazarus wrote in his memo.
During a Tuesday morning conference call with staffers, Lazarus said Kutler will be hiring a head of newsgathering and a head of talent as she builds out a leadership team. Lazarus also put an end to speculation that MSNBC might have to rebrand itself once it is spun off from NBC. The cable network will keep its name, he said.
Lazarus noted that Kutler was promoted just last week to oversee all daytime programming on MSNBC, in addition to her existing role running podcasts, films, live events, streaming, and digital platforms.
In her own memo to staff, Jones said she made the decision to leave the network “over the holidays while reflecting on our remarkable journey.” While Jones did not indicate what she plans to do next, she expressed confidence that “MSNBC is well-positioned for the future.”
On Monday, Jones announced that MSNBC’s best-known host, Rachel Maddow, is returning to the 9 p.m. hour five nights a week for Trump’s first 100 days.
In 2022, Maddow, seeking to devote more time to podcasts and other projects, shifted to a once-a-week format, and Jones promoted Alex Wagner to the 9 p.m. time slot Tuesday through Fridays(Maddow continued to helm the network’s special event coverage and appear on other MSNBC shows.) Now, with Maddow temporarily back five nights a week, Wagner will file in-the-field reports about the impact of Trump’s policies.
Maddow’s return is a savvy programming move, but also an acknowledgment of MSNBC’s recent ratings woes, since Maddow is the most popular star on the network and is uniquely able to regain audience attention.
The-CNN-Wire
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