MSNBC announced Aug. 18 it will change its name to My Source for News Opinion and the World, or MS NOW, after splitting from Comcast-owned NBCUniversal and NBC News.
The left-leaning cable network said the rebrand signals continuity in its politics but a new corporate identity in an Aug. 18 statement. It described the name as a reflection of its mission “to serve as your destination for breaking news and thoughtful analysis and remain the home for the perspectives that you’ve relied on for nearly 30 years.”
MS NOW will keep the same hosts and journalists but will now operate under VERSANT, a new media company that will also include CNBC, Golf Channel, GolfNow, and SportsEngine, the network said.
In an Aug. 18 staff memo, VERSANT CEO Mark Lazarus said MS NOW will also develop a new logo, dropping NBC’s rainbow peacock in favor of a blue background with a red-and-white striped flag.
MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler said in the memo that NBCUniversal wanted to keep the NBC brand and peacock, and she told staff, “it has become clear that our brands need separation,” according to The Hill.
In a Wall Street Journal interview, Lazarus said the network will continue catering to its “progressive audience” while prioritizing “holding the political figures from both parties to account.”
Rachel Maddow, one of MSNBC’s top anchors, told Variety magazine that the name change makes it clear that MS NOW is “not just separating from NBC News,” but “competing with them now.”
Some analysts have suggested political pressure may have influenced the decision.
In an Aug. 18 Vox article, Andrew Prokop noted that President Donald Trump has frequently criticized networks like MSNBC and CNN. He reported that the Trump administration has also pursued legal and financial action against the parent companies of some networks.
Prokop pointed to Paramount Global’s settlement with Trump earlier this year. As CatholicVote reported July 2, Paramount, the parent company of CBS, reached a $16 million settlement with Trump and agreed to adopt new editorial policies after airing an edited 2024 interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Although Comcast’s plan to spin off its cable assets predated Trump’s return to office, Lazarus told staff in January that MSNBC would retain its name, Prokop reported. The Aug. 18 rebrand to MS NOW marks a shift in that plan.
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Author: Elise Winland
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