The End of an Era: MSNBC's Final Curtain Call
For nearly 30 years, it has been a fixture of American television news, but this Saturday marks a significant turning point. MSNBC, the US's largest liberal-leaning network, will officially become known as MS NOW, closing a chapter that began with its launch in 1996.
The change was palpable at the network's recent annual live event in New York City, its last under the MSNBC banner. Mika Brzezinski, co-host of 'Morning Joe', addressed the audience in Manhattan’s Hammerstein Ballroom, quipping, "MS NOW: Don’t Worry, You’ll Get Used To It." Her words were aimed at reassuring the crowd of eager superfans, though few seemed fully aware of the impending shift.
Why the Change? Corporate Restructuring and a New Identity
The transformation was not born from internal ambition but was enforced by the network's parent company, NBCUniversal. The corporate giant is spinning off MSNBC and several other cable networks into a new, separate entity called Versant.
Faced with this directive, the network is attempting to frame the change as an opportunity. The new name, MS NOW, is a somewhat forced acronym standing for "My Source for News, Opinion, and the World." The "MS" is a deliberate nod to the network's origins and its founding partnership with Microsoft in the 1990s, a tie that was severed over a decade ago.
Rebecca Kutler, the network's president, told the Guardian she felt "very strongly" about retaining those two letters due to the brand's deep-rooted history and because it's how many viewers already refer to the channel.
Navigating Challenges and Winning Over Viewers
This rebrand arrives during a profoundly challenging period for traditional television networks. They are contending with steep declines in subscription fees as audiences increasingly abandon expensive cable packages for more affordable streaming services.
To combat uncertainty and introduce the new name, the network recently invested $20 million in a national advertising campaign. This included two 60-second ads aired on election night, featuring stars like Rachel Maddow and the words of Maya Angelou, both concluding with the message: "MS NOW. Same Mission. New name."
On-air talent have publicly expressed support. Joe Scarborough, Brzezinski's co-anchor, told fans, "If you do a good job... it doesn’t matter what we call the network." Primetime host Jen Psaki admitted she initially saw the change as a "headache" but was reassured by the idea that viewers are loyal to hosts, not just a name.
However, not all former colleagues share this optimism. Joy Reid, a former top star at the network, expressed doubt, stating, "I don’t know that name changes are usually ever a good idea, to be honest."
Building a New Operation from the Ground Up
The split from NBCUniversal has necessitated massive operational changes. The network has been forced to relocate from the iconic 30 Rockefeller Center to a less glamorous office building in Times Square. More significantly, it could no longer rely on the news-gathering resources of its former sister network, NBC News.
In response, MS NOW has built its own reporting operation from scratch, assembling a large bureau in Washington DC staffed with veterans from organisations like the Washington Post. The network's election night coverage was the first major test for this new team, which executives deemed a "resounding success."
The decoupling also forced correspondents to choose their long-term home. While Steve Kornacki, the network's election map guru, signed with NBC News, others like Jacob Soboroff decided to join Team MS NOW, citing the freedom to be the "most authentic version" of himself as a journalist.
As MS NOW steps into its new identity, it carries with it the legacy of MSNBC while facing the future with a restructured, independent newsroom and a multi-million dollar campaign to convince viewers that what matters most remains unchanged.
