MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Split from NBC News

MSNBC is preparing for a major transformation. Later this year, the cable news network will officially rebrand as MS NOW, marking its split from NBC News after nearly three decades of shared branding. The new name stands for “My Source for News, Opinion, and the World.”

“This new branding underscores our mission: to serve as a destination for breaking news and best-in-class opinion journalism, all rooted in accurate and reported facts,” MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler said in a memo to staff.

The rebrand comes as Comcast spins off most of its cable channels into a new company called Versant, which will take ownership of MSNBC along with other cable properties. NBCUniversal, meanwhile, will retain the NBC broadcast network and its iconic peacock symbol, which will no longer appear in MSNBC’s branding.

MSNBC originally launched in 1996 as a joint venture between Microsoft and NBC. Microsoft eventually sold its stake, but the name remained. Over time, MSNBC’s programming leaned heavily into opinion-driven content, especially during the Bush and Obama years, creating growing distinctions between MSNBC and NBC News.

Those differences became even sharper in recent years. While NBC News has sought to maintain a centrist tone, MSNBC’s primetime hosts adopted a more left-leaning perspective, sparking internal debate and confusion about branding. The spinoff and rebrand are seen as opportunities for both outlets to more clearly define themselves.

Versant CEO Mark Lazarus confirmed that other cable properties, such as CNBC and the Golf Channel, will also undergo logo redesigns to remove the NBC peacock. CNBC, however, will retain its name, which originally stood for Consumer News and Business Channel.

As part of its transition, MS NOW has been expanding its newsroom, hiring dozens of journalists to operate independently from NBC News. Kutler said that while the name is changing, the channel’s mission remains intact. “Our commitment to our work and our audiences will not waver from what the brand promise has been for three decades,” she wrote.

The rebrand, executives say, is intended to eliminate decades of brand confusion and give MS NOW a distinct identity as it competes in a fast-changing media landscape.

Credit: CNN Newsource

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