MSNBC has appointed Alex Wagner to replace Rachel Maddow as a weekday host at 9 pm four days a week, relying on political news veterans to fill one of the network’s most important timeframes.
Wagner, 44, is a staple of Washington journalism with roots in progressive news and sources of opinion. She worked for MSNBC for several years as a host of daytime shows, rejoining the channel as a senior political analyst and guest anchor in February during Golden Time, assisting Madou and Chris Hayes.
In an interview, Channel President Rashida Jones said the experience of Mr. Wagner, who covers politics, is important as the network prepares to cover the midterm elections this fall.
“This isn’t a show where our hair is burning, we’re screaming beyond each other, and we’re creating these manufactured moments of tension,” Jones said. rice field. “I really hope that the takeaway from this show will give us a better understanding of what’s happening in the world.”
According to MSNBC, Ms. Wagner is the only Asian-American to host a Golden Time cable news show.
Maddow, MSNBC’s most popular host, signed a deal last year to reduce hosting operations on the channel. She will continue to host 9 pm on Monday, and the show will continue to be called the “Rachel Maddow Show.” Wagner will host the show from August 16th to Tuesday to Friday. The name of her show has not been decided.
At the heart of the prime time lineup, 9pm is now only part of a broader programming strategy that includes television, streaming, podcasts, and newsletters. MSNBC, Fox News, and CNN have all launched video streaming services in recent years amid growing industry concerns about the long-term decline in cable TV ratings.
However, traditional television continues to rock among cable news networks, despite the increasing focus on new formats. Advertising budgets have been slow to move away from traditional television, and golden-time ratings are still the benchmark for success in a valuation-obsessed industry. Television distribution contracts with cable companies like Comcast and Charter are still huge dollar boxes for cable news networks. The new owner of CNN ended the streaming service in April.
Jones said MSNBC aims to build a network-wide brand on a variety of different distribution platforms, rather than focusing on traditional television, a recurring approach by CNN’s new chairman, Chris Richt. Said.
“It’s a well-known fact that cable viewers are changing and changing rapidly,” Jones said. “MSNBC is still the majority of our viewers, but we’re really focused. How can we make that deep connection and bring it to a new location?”
Jones said MSNBC will be looking for opportunities to work with Wagner on NBCUniversal’s streaming platforms such as Peacock. Other MSNBC programs such as “Morning Joe” and “All in with Chris Hayes” have already appeared on Peacock hours after being aired on the MSNBC cable channel.
Jones said she didn’t talk to Madou about her replacement. Mr Jones said Wagner did not provide details of the negotiations, but said he was on the list of candidates to host MSNBC at 9 pm for several months.
Wagner’s winding journalism career spans printed, digital and television outlets.Wagner from Washington DC worked As a co-host of the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, Showtime’s political documentary “The Circus”, and a cultural correspondent for The Atlantic.
Wagner’s relationship with MSNBC dates back more than a decade. Since 2011, she has hosted a weekday opinion show, “Now with Alex Wagner.” It was canceled in 2015 as the network pivoted the daytime lineup towards more straightforward news coverage and less opinion.
Wagner, who graduated from Brown University in 1999, is married to Samkas, a former White House chef who became close friends with Barak and Michelle Obama.
