MSNBC President, Rashida Jones, has announced her departure from the network amid declining ratings and just days before President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House.
Jones, who has led the NBCUniversal-owned cable channel for four years, shared the news of her immediate exit in a memo to staff.
“After four incredible years at the helm of MSNBC and 11 years at NBCU, I have made the decision to pursue new opportunities,” Jones wrote.
An MSNBC representative confirmed her departure to The Post.
Senior Vice President of Content Strategy Rebecca Kutler will step in as interim president, according to the network.
Speculation about Jones’s exit grew after parent company Comcast revealed plans in December to spin off MSNBC and other cable assets into a new publicly traded entity, SpinCo, to be overseen by veteran executive Mark Lazarus.
Jones stated in her memo that Lazarus had asked her to stay on for a few months to assist during the network’s transition.
Praising Jones, Lazarus credited her with skillfully guiding MSNBC through a demanding and historic news period, achieving record viewership, and driving investments in digital and streaming platforms.
“MSNBC is well-positioned for the future, and I am grateful that she will continue to support us during this transition,” Lazarus wrote in his memo.
Under Jones’s leadership, MSNBC solidified its position as the second-most-watched cable news network behind Fox News, with CNN trailing in third place, according to Nielsen data.
However, the network has experienced declining viewership since the November 5 election.
In response, MSNBC plans to reinstate Rachel Maddow to a full-time schedule in the 9 p.m. prime-time slot for the initial months of the second Trump administration.
Maddow, previously appearing only once a week, will host nightly until April 30, after which she will return to her regular Monday-only appearances.
During Maddow’s expanded schedule, Alex Wagner, who currently anchors the 9 p.m. hour from Tuesday to Friday, will take on various assignments.
Wagner will resume her regular hosting duties after the April transition.
