MSNBC is getting a divorce and it's fantastic

Ladies and gentlemen, brace yourselves for a seismic shakeup in the media world. The liberal bastion known as MSNBC is getting a dramatic rebrand, soon to be dubbed "MS NOW"-- that's "My Source News Opinion World," if you're keeping score. This bombshell dropped on Monday’s "Morning Joe," and let me tell you, it's more than just a name change. It's a corporate divorce that's been brewing for years, and' about to get messy.

For decades, NBC and MSNBC have been joined at the hip, like a power couple in the news game. But Comcast, the parent company, is pulling the plug on this marriage, splitting its NBCUniversal empire. Comcast announced last year it's spinning off its cable networks into a new entity called Versant. That's right, MSNBC, CNBC, USA Network, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and the Golf Channel are all packing their bags and moving out, while NBCUniversal holds onto NBC News, NBC News Now, Telemundo, and Bravo. It's a high-stakes custody battle over brands, talent, and real estate, and the fallout is already raising eyebrows.

Let's talk about the split. MSNBC’'s Rachel 'Mad Cow' Maddow and NBC's Savannah Guthrie are no longer playing for the same team. Once the divorce is finalized by the end of 2025, these two won't even be colleagues under the NBCUniversal umbrella. And the iconic Peacock is getting a makeover at MSNBC, replaced by a new logo: a striped flag in red, white, and blue, but not an American flag because they really don't like America all that much. Goodbye, fashionable fowl; hello, patriotic flair. Meanwhile, CNBC, ever the steady one, keeps its "Consumer News and Business Channel" name intact. No drama there.

Now, let's get to the real estate drama. 

Rockefeller Center, 30 Rock, has been the beating heart of NBC since forever, and MSNBC called it home since its launch in 1996. But in this divorce, NBC gets to keep the house. MSNBC is being evicted, forced to set up shop temporarily on 43rd Street while they hunt for a permanent new home. They're also vacating NBC's D.C. bureau near the Capitol and striking out on their own. 

Talk about a fresh start, or more accurately, a forced one.

NBC and MSNBC have long shared their so called stars, with hosts and correspondents bouncing between the two like it's no big deal. But now, lines are being drawn. NBC is holding onto Steve Kornacki, their data wizard who has been a staple of MSNBC's election nights. Andrea Mitchell, after wrapping her long-running MSNBC show "Andrea Mitchell Reports" in February, is staying with NBC as their chief Washington and foreign affairs correspondent. José Díaz-Balart is out at MSNBC but keeping his gigs anchoring "NBC Nightly News Saturday" and Noticias Telemundo.

Meanwhile, MS NOW (or as Greg Gutfeld referred to them as: "Miserable Sh*t No One Watches") is building its roster, snagging some heavy hitters from NBC. Justice reporters Ken Dilanian and Ryan Reilly, national correspondent Jacob Soboroff, White House correspondent Vaughn Hillyard, and internet reporter Brandy Zadrozny are all jumping ship to MS NOW. MSNBC's current lineup, including Stephanie Ruhle, who's juggled roles as NBC's senior business analyst and host of "The 11th Hour," will stay put through the rebrand. And in a rare win, Willie Geist, the guy who pulls double duty on NBC's "Sunday TODAY" and MSNBC's "Morning Joe," has scored a deal to keep both gigs post-split, according to a source who spoke to Fox News Digital. 

Now that's some serious negotiating power.

But let's not kid ourselves, this isn't just a corporate reshuffle. MSNBC has been on a hiring spree, poaching big names like veteran journalist Carol Leonnig from the struggling Washington Post, because they know they're losing NBC's news-gathering muscle. The question is, can MS NOW stand on its own without the Peacock’s clout? 

And what does this mean for a network that's leaned so heavily on its liberal identity? The name "MS NOW" screams agenda-driven journalism. And don't let that flag fool you: MS NOW is not pivoting to the center.

And if you want to Buy Me A Coffee, I wouldn't stop you--it supports my work and I really appreciate it. But no pressure.

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