MSNBC will become MS NOW, lose peacock logo before Comcast spinoff
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Cable news network MSNBC will be renamed My Source News Opinion World, or MS NOW.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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NEW YORK - Cable news network MSNBC will change its name and drop the iconic peacock logo as parent Comcast presses ahead with the planned separation of many NBCUniversal cable networks later this year.
The left-leaning media company will be renamed My Source News Opinion World, or MS NOW, according to internal memos seen by Reuters on Aug 18.
Comcast plans to spin off its cable channels, including USA Network, CNBC and MSNBC, into a new company called Versant – a significant shift in its media strategy as the company repositions itself for growth in the streaming era.
Comcast intends to retain the peacock logo, along with brands such as the NBC broadcast network and its film and television studios that are expected to fuel growth for its Peacock streaming service.
“The future of our success is not tied to remaining within the NBC family and using the peacock as part of our identity,” said MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler in a memo on Aug 18, adding that MSNBC has been recruiting for nearly 100 roles within the organisation as it prepares for the separation.
Ms Kutler added the network will not change editorial direction, saying: “While our name will be changing, who we are and what we do will not.”
Launched in 1996, MSNBC stands for Microsoft and National Broadcasting Company, a name formed through its previous partnership with Microsoft and NBC.
The name has outlived its time since Microsoft pulled out of the joint venture that owned MSNBC in 2012.
CNBC will keep its name, which originally stood for Consumer News and Business Channel, and is working on a new logo, according to a memo from Versant CEO Mark Lazarus.
“Each of these changes will go into effect closer to our spin at the end of the year,” Lazarus said in the memo. The current brand “has been defined to be one that is largely playing to the left,” said Mr Eric Schiffer, chairman of Los Angeles-based Reputation Management Consultants.
“They are hoping that by rebranding, there’s a better chance to ... reset in the minds of the public.” REUTERS
