MSNBC President Rashida Jones plans to step down after nearly four years of leading the cable news network.
Jones, who became the first Black woman to run a major television news network, made the announcement Tuesday in a memo circulated to staff. The major shakeup at the cable network comes days before President-elect Donald J. Trump is inaugurated amid changes in the network’s corporate ownership.
Rebecca Kutler, the network’s senior vice president of content strategy, was named interim MSNBC president, according to the network. Jones plans to stay on in an advisory role until March.
“Rashida has expertly navigated MSNBC through a years-long, unrelenting and unprecedented news cycle, all while driving the network to record viewership and making investments in nonlinear businesses,” Mark Lazarus, the chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, who will oversee the new company that includes MSNBC, told staff in a Tuesday call announcing Jones’s departure.
“MSNBC is well-positioned for the future, and I am grateful that she will continue to support us during this transition.”
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Jones made history as the first Black leader of a news network when she was named as the next MSNBC president in December 2020.
Previously as senior vice president of NBC News and MSNBC, Jones helped guide breaking news and major events, including coverage of the COVID pandemic and Trump’s impeachment. She also oversaw presidential debates and other major live programming in her previous role.
When she took the helm of MSNBC in February 2021, she succeeded Phil Griffin, who left the network that same year.
During Jones’ tenure, she recruited new hosts like former Biden administration press secretary Jen Psaki, focused on digital content and, in 2022, she hired Kutler from CNN.
But MSNBC’s left-leaning programming has suffered a decline in viewership since Trump’s election in November, with its prime-time ratings down 58%. While that’s a sharper drop than typical post-election ratings dips, the network hopes for a rebound when Trump takes office, especially with Rachel Maddow returning to host her show five nights a week.
The announcement also comes nearly two months after Comcast announced a plan to break off most of its cable TV networks, including MSNBC, from NBC News into its own company, currently known as SpinCo. MSNBC would retain its name after the spinoff, according to reports.
“I came to this decision over the holidays while reflecting on our remarkable journey and the many successes we’ve achieved together as a team,” Jones said in a memo to staff. “This has been the most rewarding chapter of my professional career and I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished, which has been made possible only by you.”
Lazarus told staff that Kutler, Jones’ interim successor, is “a catalyst for growth” and a “highly respected industry veteran with decades of experience.”
Kutler came to MSNBC from CNN, where she spent two decades, most recently as a senior vice president. In her most recent position, Kutler oversaw MSNBC dayside programming and content such as podcasts, films, live events, and digital content.
Contributing: Nathan Bomey, Gary Levin, USA TODAY
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
