Rashida Jones is stepping down as MSNBC's president, with Rebecca Kutler, one of her top deputies, stepping in as interim president.
The leadership transition occurs as Comcast, the network's parent company, moves forward with plans to spin off MSNBC and other cable channels into an independent publicly traded company.
Mark Lazarus, the future CEO of the spin-off, said in a Tuesday morning memo that Jones had "expertly navigated MSNBC through a years-long, unrelenting and unprecedented news cycle, all while driving the network to record viewership and making investments in nonlinear businesses."
Now, Lazarus said, he will collaborate with Kutler "as we shape our collective future together."
Key questions remain as MSNBC faces a leadership change and corporate restructuring: Will the network shift its political coverage strategy with President-elect Donald Trump returning to office? And once the spinoff is complete, will MSNBC relocate from its iconic Rockefeller Center headquarters?
Rashida Jones' decision to step down answers another lingering question. Last month, Oliver Darcy of Status reported she was considering an early 2025 departure. Jones, who assumed her role four years ago, exemplifies the trend of TV news leadership transitions aligning with presidential election cycles.
Jones made history as the first Black person to lead a major television news network. During her tenure, she brought in prominent hosts like Jen Psaki and spearheaded the digital expansion of the MSNBC brand. In 2022, Jones hired Rebecca Kutler from CNN, who will now serve as interim network president.
Kutler's career at CNN spanned two decades, starting as an intern for one of Wolf Blitzer's Washington, DC-based programs. She rose through the ranks as a producer, launched several shows, managed a team of analysts and commentators, and led programming for CNN+, the network's short-lived streaming service.
During a Tuesday morning staff conference call, Mark Lazarus announced that Kutler will be appointing a head of newsgathering and a head of talent as she assembles her leadership team. Lazarus also addressed speculation regarding a potential rebranding of MSNBC following its spinoff from NBC, confirming that the network will retain its name.
