Rebecca Kutler has been officially appointed as the president of MSNBC, shedding her interim title after Rashida Jones stepped down last month. MSNBC confirmed Kutler's official promotion on Wednesday, February 12. Mark Lazarus, the head of the Comcast spinoff company, informed employees about the decision in a memo earlier this month.
"In the short time that Rebecca was the interim president, it became clear to me that she has the big-picture strategic view and the right leadership skills to ensure MSNBC delivers on its brand promise and is positioned for growth during a time of industry change," Lazarus wrote. However, Kutler is already facing criticism, just days after her appointment.
Ruthless President
Since stepping into the role, Kutler has managed to stabilize MSNBC's ratings after a significant dip following the election. The rebound is largely credited to star anchor Rachel Maddow, who has made frequent primetime appearances during Trump's first 100 days back in office.
As president, Kutler recently canceled Joy Reid's evening show amid declining viewership. Additionally, this week, the network dropped three more shows following the cancellation of Reid's show.
Katie Phang, Jonathan Capehart, and Ayman Mohyeldin have also been removed from their current time slots. Mohyeldin's show, Ayman Mohyeldin Reports, is set to air its final episode on April 20 at 7 p.m.
"Over the past two years, I have had the privilege of learning how all of you do what you do so well, and you've been doing it for 28 years, and you've built something truly incredible. MSNBC is now one of the most engaged brands in all of television," Kutler said in a meeting.
"We ended 2024 as number one in cable news on both YouTube and TikTok. That is a credit to everyone on this call and everyone who has built this brand into what it has become over the last 28 years," she told staff earlier this month.
Kutler Acknowledges Challenge
In her message to staff, Kutler acknowledged the difficulties that lie ahead. "My goal over the years ahead is to build on that success. Especially over the next year, this is going to be a really exciting time but also a challenging time. I think it's important that we as leaders are honest about that and about the challenges ahead. Our jobs are hard on a normal day, and these are not normal times."
Kutler succeeds Rashida Jones, who had been at the helm of the progressive cable network since 2021.
She became part of MSNBC in 2022 after spending 12 years at CNN, where she climbed from executive producer on programs like Inside Politics with John King to senior vice president.
Before that, Kutler was the head of programming for CNN+, the short-lived streaming platform that collapsed during AT&T's transition to Warner Bros. Discovery.
