MSNBC's New Chief Plots First Moves, Poised to Expand Screen Time for Jen Psaki, 'Weekend' Trio (Variety)

[ificandream]

By Brian Steinberg

MSNBC‘s new chief isn’t wasting any time in figuring out where she wants to take the progressive-leaning network as it prepares to be spun off from NBCUniversal and its corporate parent, Comcast.

Rebecca Kutler, who was named president of MSNBC earlier in February, is considering expanding the on-screen presence of Jen Psaki, who currently anchors hours on Sunday afternoons and Monday evenings, as well as the trio of personalities who lead “The Weekend,” the roundtable show that airs Saturday and Sunday mornings and is led by Symone Sanders-Townsend, Alicia Menendez and Michael Steele, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

(snip)

The changes, none of which have not been formally announced, show Kutler moving quickly to steer MSNBC in a tricky moment. With Comcast splitting off the bulk of its cable assets into a separate, publicly-traded company, MSNBC is likely to have to navigate a future cut off from the newsgathering resources of NBC News. At present, a group of traditional news anchors, including Katy Tur and Chris Jansing, fill MSNBC’s weekday hours, offering reporting and journalism that isn’t as dipped in blue as the outlet’s primetime opinion programs. Veteran Andrea Mitchell recently signed off from the noon hour she anchored for decades, and an official replacement has not been unveiled.

(snip)

Both Psaki and “The Weekend” are close to Kutler’s heart. She developed both the trio and “Inside With Jen Psaki.” “The Weekend” has enjoyed a spike in viewership in its time slot since it launched in January of 2024. Executives at MSNBC have clearly been taken with Psaki, a former Biden White House press secretary, since she launched a Sunday hour in March of 2003.

Read more: https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/msnbc-expansion-jen-psaki-weekend-symone-sanders-rebecca-kutler-1236316128/

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Comment: Like Jen Psaki, not so much "The Weekend." But we'll see where that goes. And the writer's "dipped in blue" comment shows a real lack of knowledge of what mainstream news programming, which MSNBC has always tried to do, should be. MSNBC (or CNN, for that matter) has never been Free Speech TV, which can be described correctly as "dipped in blue." Both channels have tried to keep news as the key to their programming, with opinion taking a back end. Which is the way it should be.

[yellow dahlia]

1. I like The Weekend better when Symone isn't there.

She overpowers the space.

The weekday hours (before 4) could use some improvement. I wish they would get rid of Jose Diaz Balart. His manner of asking questions is torturous.

[radical noodle]

3. I agree about Jose Diaz Balart

Not only his manner of asking questions, but the stupid questions themselves. Like "how did you feel when your child was ripped from your arms and murdered?" Whenever I watch him, I spend more time rolling my eyes than anything.

[yellow dahlia]

4. And what about that weird staccato pacing of his sentences.

And yes, we roll our eyes also. And we groan and change the channel.

[Xavier Breath]

7. "Overpowers" is a good description.

I'd like to see Alicia and Michael handle that show by themselves.

[yellow dahlia]

8. There was a weekend that she wasn't there.

It was a breath of fresh air. Alicia and Michael interacted so well. Intelligent conversation without verbal clutter.

[radical noodle]

2. Both are great shows

Late afternoons and evenings on MSNBC are awesome, especially for these first 100 days of trump's disastrous 2nd term while Rachel Maddow is on five nights a week. I hope people start watching again because we really need a channel like this (Although I admit that Ari Melber sometimes gets carried away with having Republicans on, trying to trip them up. It rarely works out well for him.)

[ificandream]

5. What the Repubs say on Melber's show say more about them than him.

If he gives them space to mouth off, they're doing it to a hostile (to them) audience.

[radical noodle]

6. He did get Navarro to admit his part in the coup plot

so I give him credit for that, too.