MSNBC announced on Monday that it would change its name to MS Now later this year.
The name stands for My Source News Opinion World. This rebrand is part of a move by MSNBC parent company Comcast that began last November to spin off cable television networks. Comcast also owns CNBC, NBC Sports, Telemundo, and NBC Local Stations.
“This name further underscores our 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,” MSNBC said in a statement.
“You might be wondering, why is this change happening? As part of our move to a new media company, VERSANT — which also includes CNBC, Golf Channel, GolfNow, and SportsEngine — we’ll no longer be part of NBCUniversal and NBC News. This gives us the freedom to chart our own path forward, and we’re excited about where it’s headed,” MSNBC said.
Comcast created VERSANT in May and named Mark Lazarus its CEO. With the new parent company comes a new logo, as explained by Lazarus’s memo to staff obtained by NBC News.
“The peacock is synonymous with NBCUniversal, and it is a symbol they have decided to keep within the NBCU family,” Lazarus said. “This gives us the opportunity to charge our own path forward, create distinct brand identities, and establish an independent news organization following the spin.”
The new logo resembles a white flag with two red stripes blowing in the wind. Washington Examiner Senior Writer Joe Concha shared a photo of the new logo on X and assured users, “This isn’t a joke.”
Lazarus explained that the change was “laying a foundation for the continued growth and success of our businesses.” MSNBC claims it is continuing to grow and is looking to hire 100 new roles.
Comcast likely planned the spinoff due to an overall decline in cable subscriptions. A projected 70 million households will keep their cable by the end of this year, while in 2010, shortly before Comcast bought NBCUniversal and its networks, 105 million households had cable.
RACHEL MADDOW SAYS US IS UNDER ‘CONSOLIDATING DICTATORSHIP’
Meanwhile, rival network Fox News has about 75% of the cable news prime-time viewership.
Since the spinoff, MSNBC has fired a slew of its anchors. Joy Ann Reid was fired after anchoring her show, The ReidOut, for five years. Hosts Ayman Mohyeldin, Katie Phang, Jonathan Capehart, and Alex Wagner were also ousted from their shows.