Left-leaning cable channel MSNBC will keep its name after being spun off from Comcast, the company said.
Mark Lazarus, who will lead a new company comprised of MSNBC and other cable assets, told MSNBC staff about his plans after breaking the news that MSNBC President Rashida Jones was leaving the company.
As the Post reported, there were concerns that being separated from the NBC mothership would force a rebrand.
“I know there was some discussion about the MSNBC name, so you can take that off your list of worries,” Lazarus said at Tuesday's meeting.
“One thing is for sure, the worst thing a leader can do is change something that is working just because they can. So if it's working, there's no reason to change it. ”
In November, Comcast announced plans to spin off its NBC Universal cable television network, which includes MSNBC and CNBC, in 2025, sending staffers at the left-leaning network into panic over their future.
At the time, Lazarus didn't have many answers for staffers who wondered whether the network would remain in 30 Rock's headquarters and how it would operate without co-reporting with sister network NBC News. It was. NBC News will remain on Comcast.
On Tuesday, despite news of Jones' departure, Lazarus tried to steady the ship.
He named Rebecca Cutler to replace Jones on an interim basis and said she would hire a director of reporting and head of talent.
Sources told The Post that MSNBC talent and staff have expressed sadness at Jones' decision to leave the show, which was suspended after ratings plummeted after Donald Trump's presidential election. .
