NBC’s Lester Holt is stepping down as anchor of its Nightly News show, while MSNBC host Ayman Mohyeldin is losing his weekend evening show as the networks’ owners continue a major programming shakeup.
MSNBC has announced significant changes to its lineup in recent days. A day after news broke that MSNBC had canceled the longstanding anchor Joy Reid’s show, The ReidOut, the liberal network revealed further changes to its schedule.
MSNBC said it was moving Jen Psaki, the former White House press secretary, to the 9pm primetime hour for Tuesdays through Fridays, and ending Alex Wagner’s current night-time spot. Rachel Maddow will return to hosting the Monday 9pm slot, after finishing her stint hosting five days a week during the first 100 days of the Trump administration.
Along with Mohyeldin’s weekend evening show, the network is also cancelling Katie Phang and Jonathan Capehart’s shows. The plan is for Capehart, like Mohyeldin, to host a new show, and Phang would continue as a legal correspondent. Wagner will stay with the network as a senior political analyst.
Holt, who has served as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News for a decade, is leaving the broadcast early this summer, that network reported. A successor for Holt on the program is yet to be named. He will reportedly continue to work with NBC, which shares an owner with MSNBC, as the principal anchor at Dateline, a role he has held for nearly 15 years.
The significant programming changes result from a reshuffling by the network’s new president, Rebecca Kutler, who took over the role in February. Kutler, who was previously MSNBC’s senior vice-president for content strategy, succeeds Rashida Jones.
