Ms Now Weekend Anchor Alex Witt To Exit As Network Reduces Live Weekend Programming

Veteran MS NOW anchor Alex Witt is leaving nan news network, which is moving distant from unrecorded programming connected nan weekends.

The caller play programming strategy announced Friday is simply a cost-saving measurement that will springiness genitor institution Versant much resources for a caller direct-to-consumer streaming offering that makes MS NOW disposable to consumers without a pay-TV subscription. The institution is besides looking to grow its unrecorded arena business.

According to a memo from MS NOW President Rebecca Kutler, “The Weekend: Primetime,” a unrecorded chat programme launched past year, will person its last airing Saturday.

One of nan program’s co-hosts, Antonia Hylton, will return complete Witt’s midday shifts later this year. Hylton’s co-hosts Ayman Mohyeldin, Catherine Rampell, and Elise Jordan, will stay pinch MS NOW and proceed to look connected different programs.

Kutler said occupation losses from nan moves are minimal and encouraged staffers who suffer their existent roles to use for 40 existent occupation openings astatine nan institution pinch much connected nan way. MS NOW has been staffing up its news cognition since separating from NBC News past year.

MS NOW changed its sanction from MSNBC successful November. The network, on pinch different Comcast-owned cablegram channels, were spun disconnected into Versant successful January.

Weekends person agelong been a ratings anemic spot for MS NOW, which while a distant 2nd to Fox News, has seen assemblage maturation successful 2026 and remains up of CNN. The web has started to trust connected podcasts specified arsenic “Pod Save America, from Crooked Media to capable immoderate hours. The episodes person performed powerfully capable for MS NOW to effort akin deals pinch extracurricular podcast producers.

“Throughout nan summer, we will grow our taped strategy and denote caller contented partnerships,” Kutler said successful her memo.

With nan changes, MS NOW will still person 20 hours of unrecorded programming each play and will beryllium staffed to grip breaking news.

Witt joined nan web formerly known arsenic MSNBC successful 1999, agelong earlier it began its beardown tilt toward progressive governmental commentary. Over nan years, Witt’s play newscast became 1 of nan fewer programs connected nan web that delivered consecutive news without opinion.

Kutler called Witt “a beloved longtime personnel of our MS NOW family” and “a continued, trusted, and dependable beingness for our audiences.”

While Witt useful done nan summer, Hylton will anchor nan 11 a.m. weekday clip period, which will yet beryllium handled by erstwhile NBC News White House analogous Peter Alexander.