{"id":3061,"date":"2025-03-26T04:48:06","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T04:48:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/something-suspicious-happened-to-msnbc-as-stars-fled-and-millions-of-fans-turned-away-but-the-desperate-move-to-save-the-day-confirmed-all-suspicions-news\/"},"modified":"2025-03-26T04:48:57","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T04:48:57","slug":"something-suspicious-happened-to-msnbc-as-stars-fled-and-millions-of-fans-turned-away-but-the-desperate-move-to-save-the-day-confirmed-all-suspicions-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/?p=3061","title":{"rendered":"Something suspicious happened to MSNBC as stars fled and millions of fans turned away, but the desperate move to save the day confirmed all suspicions."},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

MSNBC announced a bold programming shake-up\u00a0as the liberal news network\u00a0grapples with plummeting ratings<\/span>\u00a0and the departure of key stars.<\/p>\n

For President elect\u00a0Donald Trump<\/span>\u2018s first 100 days in office, primetime anchor Rachel Maddow will host her show five nights a week as the network attempts to reclaim its once-dominant position in the cable news sphere.<\/p>\n

The channel has rated a solid third when placed next to rivals\u00a0CNN<\/span>\u00a0and Fox.<\/p>\n

In the 25-54 demographic, MSNBC averaged 55,000 in December, compared to 114,000 in December 2023, while CNN averaged 69,000, compared to 108,000.\u00a0Fox News<\/span>\u00a0averaged 292,000, compared to 214,000 a year earlier.<\/p>\n

But execs hope the new schedule might help stem the loss of viewers. The new schedule will see Maddow temporarily hosting her show every weeknight at 9pm.<\/p>\n

The move comes months after the CEO is said to have\u00a0slashed Maddow\u2019s pay by some $5million<\/span>, after she agreed to stay with the network for another five years.<\/p>\n

She had reportedly been earning a $30million salary for her weekly show \u2013 the second highest paid anchor in television news after\u00a0Sean Hannity at Fox News who pulls in $45million.<\/p>\n

The schedule marks a huge increase in on-air time for Maddow following her reduced schedule of just presenting one night a week \u2013 each Monday and costing the network about $500,000 an episode.<\/p>\n

\"MSNBC<\/p>\n

MSNBC is battling plummeting ratings but its new schedule will see Rachel Maddow, pictured, temporarily hosting her show every weeknight at 9pm during Donald Trump\u2019s first 100 days<\/p>\n

\"During<\/p>\n

During Trump\u2019s first term in office, Maddow\u2019s clout was considerable with her incisive commentary and rigorous reporting anchoring the network\u2019s identity<\/p>\n

\"Through<\/p>\n

Through April 30, Alex Wagner, pictured, who has served as Maddow\u2019s successor on Tuesdays through Fridays, will pivot to field reporting<\/p>\n

\u00a0Maddow made the decision to scale back in 2021 following the signing of a lucrative contract that allowed her to focus on other ventures, including podcasts and documentaries.<\/p>\n

But MSNBC execs hope Trump\u2019s return to the\u00a0White House<\/span>\u00a0will reignite viewer interest in left-wing politics.<\/p>\n

In December, the boss of the media firm that oversees MSNBC said that he wanted more Republican voices on the network \u2013 and to move more opinion content out of primetime along with cuts to some high-profile presenters\u2019 pay.<\/p>\n

SpinCo CEO Mark Lazarus expressed his desire for a new direction as the network looks\u00a0to shed the\u00a0perception of liberal bias at MSNBC.<\/span><\/p>\n

The network\u2019s ratings have been in free fall since President Joe Biden won the 2020 election, with audiences tuning out as the frenetic pace of Trump-era news coverage gave way to comparatively subdued headlines.<\/p>\n

CEO Mark Lazarus has promised \u2018a new growth trajectory\u2019 for not only MSNBC, but all the channels in his stable \u2013 with MSNBC in the midst of a\u00a0post-elections ratings slump.<\/span><\/p>\n

From the day after the 2024 election, MSNBC has averaged around 603,000 total viewers in primetime.<\/p>\n

The reasons for the drop are being widely debated, with many laying blame on viewers being deterred by the outcome of the election.<\/p>\n

\"SpinCo<\/p>\n

SpinCo CEO Mark Lazarus has expressed his desire for the new direction several times last year as he looks to shed the perception of liberal bias at MSNBC<\/p>\n

\"Maddow<\/p>\n

Maddow earns $25 million a year at MSNBC even though she only goes on the air once a week \u2013 but she will be on five nights a week from next Monday until the end of April<\/p>\n

\"Maddow's<\/p>\n

Maddow\u2019s viewership last peaked in 2020, but has declined rapidly since the 2024 election<\/p>\n

\"Among<\/p>\n

Among other changes is a new fact-checking segment to be hosted by Chris Hayes called, \u2018Here Is What Is True\u2019<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Last month, Maddow reportedly became enraged when her MSNBC Morning Joe colleagues Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinskifor visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago.<\/p>\n

Lazarus has already made it clear the network should welcome all sorts of voices, the sources have said.<\/p>\n

During Trump\u2019s first term in office, Maddow\u2019s clout was considerable with her incisive commentary and rigorous reporting anchoring the network\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n

But her reduced schedule in recent years has left a void that executives have struggled to fill.<\/p>\n

While Maddow continues to draw large audiences on her limited appearances, her absence from nightly programming has coincided with an overall decline in viewership,\u00a0raising questions about MSNBC\u2019s dependence on her star power<\/span>.<\/p>\n

According to Nielsen data, the 9pm time slot, once a bastion of progressive commentary, has been especially hard-hit, underscoring the stakes of Maddow\u2019s full-time return.<\/p>\n

Through April 30, Alex Wagner, who has served as Maddow\u2019s successor on Tuesdays through Fridays, will pivot to field reporting.<\/p>\n

Her assignment will be to chronicle the immediate impacts of Trump\u2019s policies on the electorate.<\/p>\n

The decision signals a recalibration of Wagner\u2019s role, positioning her as a journalistic counterweight to Maddow\u2019s analysis-driven approach.<\/p>\n

Last month, Maddow\u00a0reportedly became enraged<\/span>\u00a0when her Morning Joe colleagues Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinskifor visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago.<\/p>\n

Maddow, along with other hosts at the troubled network, called the move by the married co-hosts \u2018opportunistic.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018They have lost a lot of credibility. Rachel Maddow is pissed at them as are other presenters like Chris Hayes and Ari Melber. They are so frustrated,\u2019 an unnamed MSNBC journalist said.<\/p>\n

MSNBC disputed the report, claiming that Maddow hasn\u2019t\u00a0said anything on air or off air about Scarborough and Brzezinski meeting with Trump<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\"MSNBC<\/p>\n

MSNBC has suffered a major slump in ratings since Donald Trump won the 2024 Presidential Election as conservative Fox continues to gain viewers<\/p>\n

\"Fox<\/p>\n

Fox boasted that \u2018more Independents and Democrats continue to tune in\u2019 its network, while others continue to struggle ahead of Trump\u2019s second term<\/p>\n

\u2018Any insinuation otherwise is merely speculative and not from a source who is familiar with the matter,\u2019 a network spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

The network\u2019s struggles are emblematic of a challenging media landscape in general.<\/p>\n

As streaming platforms siphon off traditional TV audiences and political polarization deepens, MSNBC faces the dual challenge of retaining its core viewers while attracting new ones.<\/p>\n

The Maddow gambit, while high-profile, is far from a guaranteed solution.<\/p>\n

In addition to Maddow\u2019s expanded role, MSNBC has also introduced other programming changes aimed at bolstering its credibility and appeal.<\/p>\n

\"Over<\/p>\n

Over at Fox, Neil\u00a0Cavuto\u2019s departure marks the end of an era for the network\u2019s straight-news programming and signals the channel\u2019s continued tilt toward opinion-driven content<\/p>\n

\"Conservative<\/p>\n

Conservative pundit Will Cain, known for his combative style on Fox & Friends will take over the 4pm weekday slot, replacing Neil Cavuto<\/p>\n

Notably, Chris Hayes will debut a fact-checking segment titled \u2018Here Is What Is True,\u2019 in an effort to combat misinformation and reaffirm the network\u2019s commitment to evidence-based journalism.<\/p>\n

MSNBC is not the only network recalibrating in the face of shifting political winds.<\/p>\n

On the other end of the political spectrum, Fox News announced its own programming shuffle on Monday.<\/p>\n

Conservative pundit Will Cain, known for his combative style on Fox & Friends will take over the 4pm weekday slot, replacing Neil Cavuto.<\/p>\n

Cavuto\u2019s departure marks the end of an era for Fox\u2019s straight-news programming and\u00a0signals the network\u2019s continued tilt toward opinion-driven content<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\n\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 MSNBC announced a bold programming shake-up\u00a0as the liberal news network\u00a0grapples with plummeting ratings\u00a0and the departure of key stars. For President elect\u00a0Donald Trump\u2018s first 100 days in office, primetime anchor … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3063,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3061","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3061"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3061\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3064,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3061\/revisions\/3064"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightflowmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}