MSNBC Cancels Joy Reid

As we reported Saturday, MSNBC's primetime lineup is reportedly in for a shakeup that might surprise its loyal audience, and indications are this is cancel week.

Various sources say the network, owned by Comcast's NBCUniversal, plans to shift Symone Sanders-Townsend, Alicia Melendez, and Michael Steele to the 7 p.m. slot Tuesday through Friday, while on Mondays, this trio will host from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

This change spells the end for Joy Reid, the current 7 p.m. anchor, who is expected to sign off from MSNBC this week.

Meanwhile, Alex Wagner, who’s been holding down the 9 p.m. slot most weeknights—except Mondays when Rachel Maddow takes over—will reportedly transition to a contributor role, according to three insiders. 

Wagner’s been on the road covering the first 100 days of the new Trump presidency, while Maddow has anchored nightly at 9 p.m. Sources suggest Wagner won’t reclaim her regular weeknight gig, and Jen Psaki is slated to step into at least one of those hours. 

The overhaul follows the appointment of Rebecca Kutler as MSNBC’s new president. Kutler, a former CNN exec known for spotting talent and crafting fresh programming, steps in as the network grapples with a tricky landscape: navigating the Trump White House and preparing for a spinoff with other NBCU cable properties into a new public company. 

MSNBC isn’t alone in facing headwinds. Like its cable peers, it’s losing viewers who once tuned in nightly for commentary. Kagan, a research outfit under S&P Global Intelligence, predicts MSNBC will lose about 10.5% of its subscribers between late 2023 and late 2025.