MSNBC takes first major step toward complete independence from NBC News as corporate breakup looms

MSNBC largely stopped relying on NBC News correspondents and crews for coverage on Monday, marking a significant milestone as the long-planned divorce takes shape. 

For years, NBC and MSNBC were closely aligned as the cable network relied on the news-gathering operation and talent of its sister broadcast network. But, Comcast announced last year it was spinning off its cable networks into a separate company, now named Versant. Versant will be the new home for MSNBC, CNBC, USA Network, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and the Golf Channel, among other assets, while NBCUniversal maintains NBC News, the NBC News Now streaming network, Telemundo and Bravo. 

As of Monday, any NBC News staffer who accepted a new role at MSNBC will relocate to their new gig, no longer reporting for NBC News platforms. As part of the breakup, MSNBC is now following its own Standards guidance and does not need to align with regulations set by NBC. 

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MSNBC also stopped relying on NBC News from an operations standpoint, aside from Washington, D.C.-based coverage, which will continue to coexist until Oct. 20, a network insider told Fox News Digital. 

Once MSNBC completely distances itself from Washington, D.C., operations on Oct. 20, MSNBC will no longer participate in NBC News-led editorial calls and meetings. Once that step is complete, MSNBC will operate entirely independently of NBC News for the first time in its 30-year history. 

MSNBC will eventually change its name to “My Source News Opinion World,” or MS NOW, to further distance itself from the NBC brand. A date for the name change has not yet been revealed. 

MSNBC is gearing up for the breakup with a hiring spree, posting dozens of open positions over the past week as it looks to separate from the legacy media organization. 

MSNBC loses its corporate sibling on the heels of a rough third quarter that saw the network shed 45% of its total day audience and 59% of viewers from the advertiser-coveted demographic, compared to Q3 from last year. It was MSNBC’s worst performance in the critical demo since 1997. 

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Despite the sagging viewership, everyone on MSNBC’s current lineup will remain on the network through its transformation into MS NOW, including Rachel Maddow, Jen Psaki, Chris Hayes, Nicolle Wallace, Ari Melber, Lawrence O’Donnell, Stephanie Ruhle, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.

However, NBC retained Steve Kornacki, the Peacock network’s data and polling expert who had become a fixture on MSNBC’s election night coverage. Andrea Mitchell, who ended her long-running MSNBC program “Andrea Mitchell Reports” in February, will remain with NBC as its chief Washington and foreign affairs correspondent. 

José Díaz-Balart departed MSNBC earlier this year but will continue anchoring “NBC Nightly News Saturday,” as well as Noticias Telemundo. 

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NBC reporters who will join MS NOW include justice beat reporters Ken Dilanian and Ryan Reilly, national correspondent Jacob Soboroff, White House correspondent Vaughn Hillyard and internet reporter Brandy Zadrozny. A slew of other staffers will also make the leap from NBC to MS NOW. 

Meghan Rafferty, who was executive producer of “NBC Nightly News,” will head to MSNBC and serve as vice president of News Standards.