NBC Information’ Willie Geist is in talks to maintain his internet hosting gig at MSNBC — a doubtlessly uncommon deal that comes as mother or father Comcast spins off the left-leaning community earlier than the tip of the 12 months.
Geist, who anchor’s NBC’s “Sunday Today Show,” is in negotiations to stay co-host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” — at the same time as as most journalists that seem on each NBC and MSNBC have been moved to 1 community or the opposite, a supply with data informed The Submit.
MSNBC declined to remark.
In keeping with Politico, Geist’s expertise is coveted by each MSNBC and NBC, to the purpose that neither community needs to lose him within the spinoff. The outlet famous that the journalist has been featured extra prominently on the Peacock Community of late, filling in for Kelly Clarkson on the purple carpet for SNL’s fiftieth, for instance.
Geist has additionally been a fixture on “Morning Joe” for years, showing alongside Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.
The transfer comes at a turbulent time for the community, which is within the throes of a serious upheaval, following Comcast’s announcement in November that it might spin off MSNBC and a handful of its cable channels however retain NBC Information, Bravo and streaming service Peacock, amongst others. Roughly 100 staffers had been let go, together with a few of the community’s expertise amid the huge overhaul.
Newly-minted information president Rebecca Kutler and different community brass have been scrambling to quell the anxious employees, who had been shell-shocked to study of huge layoffs earlier than they had been formally introduced.
MSNBC brass by chance printed out particulars concerning the left-leaning community’s impending jobs massacre — and the top-secret doc was discovered by a shocked staffer who leaked the main points to co-workers, The Submit revealed in March, publishing a duplicate of the doc.
In February, Kutler canceled Pleasure Reid’s liberal primetime present, which got here as a shock to staffers, together with Rachel Maddow, who known as out her bosses on air over the choice.
Kutler additionally axed weekend reveals hosted by Ayman Mohyeldin, Jonathan Capehart, Katie Phang and Jose Diaz-Balart.
The information boss additionally elevated Jen Psaki, the previous press secretary for President Joe Biden, who will seize the 9 p.m.-hour Tuesdays via Fridays, eradicating host Alex Wagner starting in late April.
Politico mentioned that Kutler is hoping to convey on extra progressive voices that might steadiness out a few of the left-leaning commentary, in addition to tone down the “house on fire” rhetoric because it pertains to overlaying the Trump White Home.
A supply near the state of affairs confirmed that however famous that the community wouldn’t alienate its core, liberal viewers.
In the meantime, MSNBC has misplaced the custody battle of a just a few of its stars to NBC, together with election professional Steve Kornacki and veteran political journalist Andrea Mitchell.
