Jen Psaki Moves to Primetime Weekdays in MSNBC Overhaul

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Jen Psaki, the previous White House press secretary for President Biden who has gained popularity at MSNBC since her joining in 2023, will see an increase in on-screen time for viewers starting from April, as she assumes the network’s 9 p.m. time slot on Tuesdays through Fridays.

As the newest addition to MSNBC under the leadership of Rebecca Kutler, I’ve been tasked with shaking things up amidst significant challenges facing our network. Not only are we dealing with a new administration that some of our progressive anchors and analysts vehemently oppose, but we also face a major shift in our business operations as we prepare to be spun off from Comcast, along with other cable networks, later this year. It’s an exciting time here at MSNBC, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds!

During the initial phase of Trump’s administration, Rachel Maddow hosted her show at 9 p.m. five days a week. However, she will resume hosting only on Mondays soon. In her place, Jen Psaki’s show will air from Tuesdays to Fridays. Psaki’s program, “Inside with Jen Psaki,” has gained the highest viewership among MSNBC shows during weekends and has also attracted more viewers at 8 p.m. on Mondays. In a memo released on Monday, Kutler stated, “Since joining MSNBC, Psaki has emerged as a significant and reliable voice for the network.

Kutler mentioned a few weeks ago that his aim is to build upon the achievements that set MSNBC apart from its competitors. Currently, we have one of the most active television audiences and are experiencing rapid expansion in digital, audio, and other areas. In the coming years, it’s crucial for us to remain responsive to our audience during this significant time while also preparing ourselves for the future.

Alex Wagner, previously assigned at 9 p.m., is set to take on a correspondent role for the network under the latest plans. Meanwhile, the team currently hosting “The Weekend,” consisting of Symone Sanders-Townsend, Michael Steele, and Alicia Menendez, will shift their duties to the 7 p.m. weekday slot, hosting a two-hour segment on Monday evenings. Joy Reid, the current 7 p.m. anchor at MSNBC, will be departing from the network with these changes.

On weekends, Kutler is devising fresh plans. She’s planning to introduce two new roundtable discussions, one at 7 a.m. and another at 6 p.m., every Saturday and Sunday. In the morning show, Jonathan Capehart, who has been a regular weekend figure at MSNBC for some time now, will share co-hosting duties, while Ayman Mohyeldin will join the team in the evening program. As for Ali Velshi, he’s going to extend his weekend program, “Velshi,” to a duration of three hours.

The daytime schedule is going to be adjusted. Ana Cabrera, Chris Jansing, and Katy Tur will each host for two hours every weekday. Jose Diaz-Balart, who previously anchored a late-morning hour, is moving away from MSNBC but will continue as the anchor of Saturday’s “NBC Nightly News” broadcast. Katie Phang, who used to host an early-morning hour on weekends, will stay with MSNBC as a legal correspondent.

Once it separates from NBC News, MSNBC plans to establish its own news bureau based in Washington, while centralizing its production activities in both New York City and Washington D.C.

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2025-02-24 21:17