What To Know
- Craig Melvin bid farewell to his MSNBC colleagues as the network officially rebranded to MS Now.
- MSNBC’s transformation to MS Now comes with a new name, loss of the peacock logo, and a move from Comcast to Versant, while several prominent hosts have transitioned to the relaunched network.
- The rebrand has received mixed reactions from viewers, with some expressing nostalgia for MSNBC and skepticism about the new name.
As MSNBC completes its transformation into MS NOW, Craig Melvin is reflecting on his time appearing on the former NBC sister network.
“Long before @todayshow, I started my journey at 30 Rock hosting a show on @msnbc, and spent a decade making unforgettable memories with amazing colleagues,” Melvin captioned a Saturday, November 15, Instagram post. “I’m so grateful for the work we did together and will miss those familiar faces. Will always be proud of our work-elections, inaugurations, too many other news events to list, a global pandemic, and a total eclipse.”
Bidding farewell to the network, Melvin concluded his post by writing, “Thanks for the memories, and cheers to the next chapter for @msnownews.” In the post’s comments, Melvin clarified that he was not leaving Today, but “was just saying goodbye to my MSNBC colleagues.”
Melvin got his start in local news in South Carolina and Washington, D.C., before joining MSNBC and NBC News in 2011. Melvin joined Today as a news anchor in 2018 and became a permanent cohost on the show’s third hour the following year. In 2022, Melvin gave up his 11 a.m. ET time slot on MSNBC to focus on his Today duties.
Back in January, Melvin scored his biggest role yet by taking over for Hoda Kotb as Savannah Guthrie‘s Today coanchor.
Saturday marked MSNBC’s official relaunch as MS NOW (a.k.a. My Source for News, Opinion, and the World) after nearly 30 years on air. The name change comes as the network and several other channels — including CNBC, E!, Oxygen, SYFY, and USA Network — moved from NBCUniversal’s parent company, Comcast, to Versant. In addition to the new name, MS Now also lost MSNBC’s former peacock logo.
Comcast, meanwhile, will retain control of NBCUniversal channels such as NBC, NBC News, NBC Sports, Bravo, and the streaming service Peacock.
Melvin will remain on NBC, but several former MSNBC hosts have left the network to join MS Now, including Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace, Ari Melber, Maya Eaglin, Fallon Gallagher, Jacob Soboroff, Vaughn Hillyard, Laura Barrón-López, and David Noriega, among others.
“Today, MSNBC becomes @MSNOWNews: MS NOW – My Source for News, Opinion, and the World,” the network wrote via X on Saturday in celebration of its launch. “While our name has changed, who we are has not. You’ll find the same commitment to justice, progress, and the truth. Same mission. New name.”
Viewers had mixed reactions to the network’s new name. “Multiple Sclerosis Now?” one X user wrote, while another added, “MS NOW you can believe us because we changed our name.”
Over on the network’s Instagram page, one person wrote, “This is a rebrand that no one wanted.” Someone else posted, “I will miss MSNBC forever 😢.”
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