MS NOW is shaking up its weekend lineup, adding more video podcasts and taped programming and inking deals for more outside partnerships (a la Crooked Media). MS NOW chief Rebecca Kutler outlined the changes to staff Friday, which will include a “small” number of layoffs.
The changes will see the channel end The Weekend: Primetime, with its last episodes running this Saturday. Hosts Ayman Mohyeldin, Catherine Rampell, and Elise Jordan will remain with the channel.
Alex Witt, who anchors the afternoon hours on the weekend and has been with the channel for nearly 30 years, will exit later this year. In her memo Kutler noted that has “anchored more hours on MS NOW than any other anchor in our network’s history,” and “guided our viewers through many of the most significant stories that have defined a generation.”
“We thank Alex for her endless contributions to the network and will have more opportunities to celebrate her in the coming months,” she added.
Antonia Hylton will take over the 1-4 p.m. time period later this summer, with Weekend: Primetime executive producer Joy Fowlin EPing the show.
But perhaps the most notable change to MS NOW’s lineup will be a shift toward taped programming in the evenings, including MS NOW podcasts The Best People with Nicolle Wallace and Why Is This Happening with Chris Hayes, along with content from other outside partners, similar to the channel’s deal with Crooked Media. Those partnerships are expected to be announced in the coming weeks and months. Kutler noted that the channel will expand its breaking news team to allow it to break into taped programming when news warrants.
MS NOW will still air about 20 hours of live programming each weekend.
The changes will result in some job cuts, though Kutler noted that the channel has 40 open positions, with another dozen or so set to be added in short order.
You can read Kutler’s memo, below.
Team,
As we prepare for a significant investment in our direct-to-consumer offering and continue developing new programming, content partnerships, and live audience experiences, we are realigning our weekend resources to support this growth.
The recent launch of Crooked on MS NOW is an early example of that effort. Half of the program’s viewers were new to MS NOW on Saturday nights. It was our strongest launch for a taped series among total viewers in three years and our strongest launch in the demo in more than four years. Throughout the summer, we will expand our taped strategy and announce new content partnerships. More on that soon.
First, after nearly three decades, Alex Witt has shared with us her plans to conclude her tenure with the company later this year, following an extraordinary career. A beloved longtime member of our MS NOW family, Alex has been a continued, trusted, and steady presence for our audiences. She has covered multiple presidential and midterm election cycles, countless historic international events, and major breaking news moments across the country. Having anchored more hours on MS NOW than any other anchor in our network’s history, Alex has guided our viewers through many of the most significant stories that have defined a generation, including the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, reporting from Ground Zero immediately following the tragic 9/11 terrorist attacks, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina, the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and more. We thank Alex for her endless contributions to the network and will have more opportunities to celebrate her in the coming months.
We are excited to share that Antonia Hylton will become the anchor of the 1 to 4 p.m. hours on the weekends at the end of the summer. Antonia will bring her tremendous credibility, versatility, and connection with audiences to this new role. Her work has been recognized with Peabody, Murrow, and Emmy Awards; her recent “Cities Under Siege” series has been a testament to her standout reporting, and we are excited to see her continue to grow in this expanded role. I am also pleased to announce that Joy Fowlin, executive producer of The Weekend: Primetime, will serve as the executive producer of Antonia’s new program. She has been an incredible newsroom leader and will be a strong partner for Antonia, and we look forward to seeing what they build together.
As we continue to evolve our weekend programming strategy, we will be sunsetting The Weekend: Primetime. The program’s final broadcast will air tomorrow. I want to thank the entire Weekend: Primetime team for the powerful journalism they have produced and for their many contributions to MS NOW’s reporting, coverage, and news-making interviews. We are grateful that Ayman Mohyeldin, Catherine Rampell, and Elise Jordan will remain with MS NOW and continue to contribute across our programming and platforms, bringing their respected reporting and distinct analysis to our audiences.
As part of these changes, we are expanding Mike McLaughlin and Jeff Kepnes’ team and will continue to be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to deliver coverage of breaking news events. Even with these changes, MS NOW will continue to air 20 hours of live programming each weekend, remaining competitive with our peers.
As part of the changes being announced today, a small number of roles across the organization are being impacted. All affected employees have already been notified. As these changes take place, we continue to create new opportunities across our organization and currently have nearly 40 open positions. We also expect to have more than a dozen roles to be posted soon.
As I have said before, we must continue to show up for our audiences while simultaneously building the future of MS NOW. The work you do every day makes that possible.
Rebecca
