MSNBC is changing its name to MS NOW on Nov. 15, the network said on Monday, ending an era for a nearly 30-year-old cable brand while marking the start of its new identity as its parent company splits from NBCUniversal.
The move marks one of the final acts of transition for the progressive cable news network as it splits itself from NBC News. Staff who jumped from NBC News to MSNBC officially became full-time employees on Oct. 6, while the network ended its shared newsgathering with NBC News last week.
“On the morning of Nov. 15, we will officially make the switch to MS NOW,” MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler told staff in a memo on Monday. “This moment comes after months of meticulous planning and thoughtful collaboration across every corner of our organization. We are facing it head-on, and our success in the months and years ahead will depend on our innovation and entrepreneurial approach.”
The switch will include a hefty marketing campaign starting next month as it explains its new brand to its audience. “Same mission, new name,” primetime star Rachel Maddow says in one ad.
After initially saying it would retain its name, MSNBC said in August it would refashion itself as “MS NOW,” short for “My Source for News, Opinion and the World,” ending months of speculation over whether it would keep its shared Peacock logo with the Comcast-owned NBC News.
The network has also been moving out of NBC News’ headquarters at New York’s Rockefeller Center. CNBC, NBC News’ other sister organization, is keeping its name, though adopting a new logo.
The move comes as Versant, MSNBC’s new spun-off parent company, finalizes its split from Comcast. The independent company is expected to fully launch on Jan. 1.
“This is just the beginning,” Kutler wrote, signing off her memo as “MS NOW President.”
