As Versant inches closer to its official launch by the end of 2025, the news operations of NBC and MSNBC will begin separating starting next month, TheWrap has learned.
On Oct. 6, NBC News staff who accepted new roles at MSNBC will officially transfer over. MSNBC will also begin using its own standards guidance, which management will relay to employees in the coming weeks, and the network’s Washington, D.C., Bureau employees will move to the same floor as their CNBC colleagues.
By Oct. 20, MSNBC will no longer rely on NBC News correspondents or crews for coverage. It has relied on NBC’s resources since its inception in 1996.
The latest update comes as MSNBC recently revealed it would rebrand to MS Now, which stands for My Source for News, Opinion and the World, and get a new logo that would no longer include its peacock imagery.
The new branding will debut as the network is set to enter its 30th year. MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler has emphasized that the network “has not and will not change editorial direction.”
CNBC will retain the acronym “Consumer News and Business Channel,” but will also unveil a new logo without the peacock that will “look back at its history and nod to the deep expertise of the network,” per Versant CEO Mark Lazarus.
Meanwhile, USA Network and Golf Channel will come together under a new brand — USA Sports — with new logos in the coming weeks that will honor the former’s legacy in sports and entertainment and the latter’s 30-plus year history as TV’s home for golf.
MSNBC has hired more than three dozen journalists from CNN, Bloomberg, Politico, The Washington Post, ABC News, NBC News, PBS and more in preparation for the split from NBC and is actively recruiting for 50 roles across the organization — including in newsgathering, digital, audio and specials.
Versant and MSNBC have also made several executive hires including Scott Matthews as senior vice president of newsgathering; Meghan Rafferty as vice president of news standards; Brian Carovillano as senior vice president of news standards and editorial partnerships; Marcus Mabry as senior vice president of content strategy; Jessica Kurdali as senior vice president of talent strategy; Melissa Beretta as vice president of direct-to-consumer, strategic growth and operations, Madeleine Haeringer, who will oversee digital, audio and longform operations; Joey Cole and Erin Zimmerman, who will oversee day-to-day and long-term planning; and MSNBC Washington Bureau chief Sudeep Reddy.
MSNBC plans to announce a new deputy bureau chief and editorial team leads across its D.C. beats within the next few weeks.
