In the media business, at least, breaking up can still be hard to do.
MSNBC will have to take a new name in months to come as it seeks to carve out an identity that will have it competing for scoops and news with current corporate sibling NBC News. MSNBC will soon come to be known as My Source for News Opinion and the World, or MS NOW, following the spin off of the bulk of NBCUniversal’s cable assets into a new publicly traded company called Versant. The changes were detailed in a memo to staffers Monday by Mark Lazarus, who will run Versant as its founding CEO.
MSNBC had planned to keep its name, but NBCU recently decided to retain its famous Peacock design and markings and not share them, requiring Versant to make changes to some of its networks that use those insignia and the NBC logo, Lazarus said. “As we all know, the peacock is synonymous with NBCUniversal, and it is a symbol they have decided to keep within the NBCU family,” he said. “This gives us the opportunity to chart our own path forward, create distinct brand identities, and establish an independent news organization following the spin.”
Under Versant’s plan, USA Network and Golf Channel will soon be housed under the brand USA Sports, and each network will get a redesigned logo. CNBC will retain its current name, but will also get a new logo that nods to its history and expertise in business news, Lazarus said.
The change in direction means MSNBC and NBC News will be even more distinct from each other — and more competitive. MSNBC will be forced to drop its reliance on the NBC News newsgathering apparatus, and has been hiring its own staff of journalists under chief Rebecca Kutler. “During this time of transition, NBCUniversal decided that our brand requires a new, separate identity. This decision now allows us to set our own course and assert our independence as we continue to build our own modern newsgathering operation,” Kutler said in a memo. “The future of our success is not tied to remaining within the NBC family and using the peacock as part of our identity.”
Changing names of long-running media institutions can be risky. Warner Bros. Discovery recently found that dubbing a streaming service long associated with HBO with the name “Max” left it at a disadvantage when it came to brand recognition, particularly because many of Max’s most popular offerings are HBO programs. Paramount over the years changed the name and mission of the cable outlet now known as Paramount Network — it was known in different iterations as The Nashville Network, The National Network and Spike TV — and each overhaul undermined its brand in the overall media marketplace.
And the new MS moniker could also cause some confusion with an emerging digital product tied to NBC News. NBC News Now is an ad-supported streaming service that has gradually expanded its hours and features shows led not only by “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas, but also Hallie Jackson and Gadi Schwartz.
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One prominent MSNBC anchor expressed support for the plan. “If there was ever a time for us to change our name, this is it — because we’re not just separating from NBC News in corporate terms, we’re competing with them now. So I think the distinction is going to be good for us,” said Rachel Maddow in a comment provided by e-mail. “What NBC doing in its legacy timeslots — the Today Show, Nightly, Meet the Press — is just a world away from the 24/7 totally independent news operation that we’re able to stand up now, thanks to the spin-off.”
For years, MSNBC and NBC News were part of a structure governed by a single senior executive — most recently Cesar Conde, who was preceded by Andy Lack. Now, the two operations will likely cover many of the same stories and work similar sources. MSNBC has in recent weeks hired NBC News journalists including Ken Dilanian, Brandy Zadrozny, David Noriega, and Vaughan Hillyard. And Versant has hired senior NBCU news executives including Brian Carovillano, Tom Clendenin, Meghan Rafferty and Jessica Kurdali. Meanwhile, there has been growing speculation that the absence of MSNBC and CNBC from the NBCUniversal news operations could force a recalibration of resources, according to people familiar with newsroom conversations.
MSNBC’s Kutler said the network would continue to “supercharge our non-linear products, achieving rapid success on YouTube, TikTok, audio, digital, live events, and more — all while aggressively developing a direct-to-consumer product.” She indicated Versant “will be making a significant investment in a broad-based marketing campaign” for the new MS NOW brand, which will be “unlike anything we have done in recent memory.”
Corporate types might take comfort in the fact that MS NOW is probably easier to say and recall than MSNBC, Maddow suggested. “While I will admit to having no idea how to pronounce “MS NOW” (and I’m still not all that sure about pronouncing “Versant,” either), we’re at least dropping our syllable count from five to three!” she said. “An efficiency gain!”
From Variety US