MSBNC was forced into a rebrand after top bosses at NBC decided they did not want any affiliation with the left-leaning news network, it was revealed.
The liberal cable network this week unveiled their rebrand, shifting from MSNBC to MSNOW – a decision which has sparked widespread confusion and mockery.
Some critics even noted that the new logo appears to have a ‘K’ in front, which some viewers could perceive as ‘KMS NOW’ – an acronym for ‘kill myself.’
Now, new details of the decision have emerged in Puck Media, alleging that MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler and Mark Lazurus were backed into a corner with no other option but to rebrand.
According to the source, executives at NBCU and NBC News had decided they didn’t want any affiliation with MSNBC.
This comes as MSNBC prepares to split from parent company NBCUniversal.
While simultaneously distancing the NBC brand from MSNBC, executives were reportedly happy to continue the CNBC brand, the acronym for the Consumer News and Business Channel.
The liberal cable network this week unveiled a rebrand, shifting from MSNBC to MSNOW – a decision which has sparked widespread confusion and mockery
Some critics have noted that the new logo appears to have a ‘K’ in front, which some viewers could perceive as ‘KMS NOW’ – an acronym for ‘kill myself’
Lazarus and Kutler tried to find the positives in the order, describing the rebrand as ‘an opportunity to chart our own path forward.’
‘The most important thing to Rebecca was keeping the ‘MS’ in the name,’ a source close to Kutler told the publication.
The MS in the brand remaining the same allows viewers who are used to scrolling the channel guide on the television continuity and avoids any brand confusion.
MS NOW will first appear on screens in its new stylized form later this year.
‘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,’ Kutler wrote in an internal memo.
‘I know this announcement will be met with questions, and I want to acknowledge that for many of you who have spent years or decades here, it is hard to imagine the network by any other name.
‘This was not a decision that was made quickly or without significant debate,’ she continued.
Rachel Maddow seems poised to stay the network’s top star
‘Over the last eight months, we have worked to untether ourselves from NBC News and embrace our independence under Versant.
‘We’ve hired dozens of first-rate reporters and newsroom leaders and have been recruiting for nearly 100 roles across our new and nimble organization.
‘We continue to supercharge our non-linear products, achieving rapid success on YouTube, TikTok, audio, digital, live events, and more – all while aggressively developing a direct-to-consumer product.’
The new branding will debut as the network enters its 30th year, and as it continues to build up a newsgathering operation entirely independent of NBCU.
Rachel Maddow seems poised to stay the network’s top star while longtime MSNBC host Joy Reid was ousted from the network this year.
