The new year began with some notable changes to NBC’s newsgathering operations, including shifts for daytime and streaming programming and layoffs affecting the division.
On digital platform NBC News NOW , Hallie Jackson received a vote of confidence for the show, which will air from 5pm to 7pm ET.
“On NOW, she covers everything from the midterm elections to mental health, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and climate change, using her signature conversational style to make our viewers understand the day’s news, Now, with the new time goes deeper,” said Janelle Rodriguez, who was just promoted to executive vice president of NBC News Now, overseeing NBC Nightly News in addition to NBC Nightly News the service.
In cable news, MSNBC is restructuring its daytime programming, which includes José Díaz-Balart taking over 10 Am and Chris Jansing will be onboard from 1pm to 3pm starting February 11. Notably, MSNBC President Rashida Jones wrote that the 11 am hour “will have a rotating lineup of hosts until a new anchor be named,” in a memo to employees.
Over the weekend, Katie Phang will take over at 8am, Jonathan Capehart will be on the air at 9am and Ali Velshi – a frequent primetime evening host – will now be at AM to Weekend AM, starting February 10.
It is estimated that 13 employees at NBC and MSNBC will be affected by layoffs while being told to return to work during the day, a source told The Hollywood Reporter confirmed. NBC’s news department has a total of 3,13 employees.
A day earlier MSNBC rival CNN announced changes to its daytime lineup, with President Chris Chris Licht announced the moves will showcase his news-gathering work and make “an anchor more real”. To that end, CNN’s John Berman, Kate Bolduan and Sara Sidner will take over the 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time slot, while Brianna Keilar, Boris Sanchez and Jim Sciutto will take over from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. as the cable news outlet restructures in its era of Warner Bros. Discovery ownership.
The shift to MSNBC’s daytime lineup is the first since plans were announced by NBC News President Noah Oppenheim, who has since 500 has led the news organization since January 11 stepped down and signed a film and TV deal with NBCUniversal , and develop feature-length projects. (In November, Oppenheim also sold a Robert De Niro political thriller to Netflix. Up will see New York Times veteran Rebecca Blumenstein becomes NBC News editorial president, and Today executive vice president of the Libby Leist franchise, Rodriguez and Blumenstein both Reporting directly to Cesar Conde, Head of NBC News Corp. I want to thank all of you for your hard work and dedication as we begin this new chapter.”
