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Major Overhaul Planned for MSNBC’s Evening Lineup
MSNBC is set to undergo significant changes, particularly concerning its evening programming, as confirmed by recent reports. Following discussions earlier in the weekend, it has been announced that Joy Reid and Alex Wagner will no longer hold their weeknight timeslots.
New Nighttime Schedule
Starting in April, Rachel Maddow will be back on air but in a limited capacity, hosting her show once a week. Jen Psaki is slated to take over the 9/8c timeslot from Tuesdays to Fridays. At the same time, hosts from The Weekend—Alicia Menendez, Michael Steele, and Symone Sanders-Townsend—will transition to the 7/6c hour and will conduct a two-hour show on Mondays.
Joy Reid’s departure from the network clears her 7/6c slot, which will have rotating hosts fill in during the interim period until the new lineup is fully operational in April. Alex Wagner, however, will continue with MSNBC as a senior political analyst, having previously hosted the 9/8c slot.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, these changes were communicated to staff in a memo by the network’s president, Rebecca Kutler. In her message, Kutler expressed her disappointment that employees learned about these adjustments through the media rather than directly from her.
Changes to The Weekend Program
The weekend lineup will also see shifts, with new co-hosts introduced. Jonathan Capehart will lead morning broadcasts, while Ayman Mohyeldin is set to co-host in the evenings. The identity of the third anchor remains undisclosed. Additionally, Ali Velshi’s weekend program will be extended to a three-hour format.
Production Consolidation and Daytime Shifts
In a broader strategic move, MSNBC will streamline its production to focus operations in New York and Washington, D.C., leading to the closure of Miami-based productions, including José DÃaz-Balart Reports and The Katie Phang Show. DÃaz-Balart is scheduled to remain as a weekend anchor for NBC Nightly News, while Phang will continue at MSNBC as a legal correspondent.
On the daytime front, Ana Cabrera will extend her program by an hour, anchoring Ana Cabrera Reports from 10 a.m. to noon ET. Meanwhile, Chris Jansing will take the reins of Chris Jansing Reports from 12/11c to 2/1c, with Katy Tur Reports occupying the two-hour slot from 2/1c onward.
Source
www.tvinsider.com