{"id":2621361,"date":"2026-06-30T08:40:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T12:40:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ms-nows-longest-running-anchor-is-out-as-struggling-network-pivots-to-more-reliance-on-podcasts\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T08:44:57","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T12:44:57","slug":"ms-nows-longest-running-anchor-is-out-as-struggling-network-pivots-to-more-reliance-on-podcasts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ms-nows-longest-running-anchor-is-out-as-struggling-network-pivots-to-more-reliance-on-podcasts\/","title":{"rendered":"MS Now&#8217;s Longest-Running Anchor Is Out As Struggling Network Pivots to More Reliance on Podcasts"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fms-nows-longest-running-anchor-is-out-as-struggling-network-pivots-to-more-reliance-on-podcasts%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2621361&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The content discusses changes at MS NOW, a news network that has recently experienced budget and staffing cuts following its separation from NBC News and Microsoft. Notably, long-time weekend host Alex Witt, who had been with the channel as 1999, is departing amid shifts toward airing more podcasts and taped content rather of live, hosted weekend shows.The network aims to rebrand its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/schedule-no-plans-for-joe-biden-to-attend-army-navy-football-game\/\" title=\"Schedule: No Plans for Joe Biden to Attend Army-Navy Football Game\">weekend schedule<\/a> with podcasts from entities like Crooked Media and hosts such as Nicolle Wallace and Chris Hayes, reflecting a move away from customary television journalism toward digital-first formats favored by younger audiences. The article criticizes MS NOW\u2019s partisan orientation and discusses its evolution from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/analysis-trump-other-politicos-fight-for-attention-in-changing-media-landscape\/\" title=\"Trump and other politicians vie for attention in evolving ....\">traditional news outlet<\/a> to one influenced by the style of political comedy shows, highlightingRatings declines, demographic shifts, and the resort to podcasts as cost-saving measures. It also touches on broader industry trends, including the decline of conventional journalism models and the rise of digital influencers as primary news sources for younger viewers.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>One does understand the fact that, now that it\u2019s no longer part of the NBC News umbrella, MS NOW can\u2019t afford the extravagances it once could. The media landscape is a hard place, after all, and losing your <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >corporate sugar daddy \u2014 combined<\/a> with their access to news stories \u2014 means a bit more belt-tightening is still in order.<\/p>\n<p>However, when the network is basically admitting that it doesn\u2019t have Alex Witt money to throw around and that they might just start airing podcasts on the weekend, things are dire indeed.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/tv\/news\/ms-now-video-podcasts-weekends-alex-witt-exit-1236790307\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Variety<\/a>, MS NOW will be parting ways with its longest-tenured host, Witt, who has been with the channel since 1999 \u2014 back when both of its original corporate partners, Microsoft and NBC, were still on board \u2014 and has been hosting on weekends since 2011.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Kudos to <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AlexWitt?\">@AlexWitt<\/a> for her amazing work at MS Now since 1999. She will be greatly missed as a weekend news anchor. I look forward to where she heads next.<\/p>\n<p>Alex is the best of the best.<br \/> Always calm<br \/> Always sharp questions<br \/> Always breaking down what big news events mean for regular\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VGCnlODobo\">pic.twitter.com\/VGCnlODobo<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Heather Long (@byHeatherLong) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/byHeatherLong\/status\/2071600933872533982?\">June 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The move comes, Variety reported, as the network \u201cwill move away from featuring live, hosted hours after 6 p.m. on weekends and instead fill its schedule largely with taped video podcasts, expanding its use of a popular Saturday-night program from Crooked Media as well as podcasts hosted by MS NOW mainstays Nicolle Wallace and Chris Hayes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Witt\u2019s departure was sold as a mutual decision, although these things almost always are, and her show \u2014 now called \u201cThe Weekend: Primetime\u201d \u2014 will be canceled. While live coverage will be maintained in the 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fox-news-crashes-viewers-cut-in-half-in-3-weeks-cnn-beats-fox-in-daytime-viewers-msnbc-beats-fox-in-every-prime-time-slot-but-tucker\/\" title=\"FOX ... CRASHES! Viewers Cut in Half in 3 Weeks -- CNN Beats FOX in Day... Viewers -- ...NBC Beats FOX in Every Prime-... Slot but Tucker!\">time slot<\/a> that Witt held by another MS NOW talking head, Antonia Hylton, all I can say is that I hope she has experience <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/political-suicide-far-left-podcasters-say-gavin-newsoms-sudden-israel-support-will-end\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in podcasting<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>From Variety\u2019s report, where MS NOW president Rebecca Kutler attempts to make this sound like this is just a mutual parting of ways:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>When Witt departs, she will take with her one of MS NOW\u2019s last ties to its early history, when it was known as MSNBC and was a joint venture of NBC News and Microsoft. Witt\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/don-lemon-reports-fake-news-about-himself\/\" title=\"Don Lemon Reports Fake ... \u2026 About Hi...elf\">long tenure<\/a> on weekends, according to one person familiar with the network, comes from a simple achievement: Nothing else MSNBC or MS NOW put on the schedule drew bigger or more reliable numbers than her. After her departure, only Chris Jansing, the veteran anchor who continues to work for MS NOW as a correspondent, will offer similar connections to the past.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Witt \u201chas been a continued, trusted, and steady presence for our audiences,\u201d Kutler said in her memo, noting coverage of the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster and Ground Zero reportage following the terrorist attacks of 9\/11, among other events. \u201cWe thank Alex for her endless contributions to the network and will have more opportunities to celebrate her in the coming months.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>I was reminded, when reading those words \u2014 and probably for the only time regarding anything MS NOW-related \u2014 of an anecdote from the memoir of the late Anglo-American pundit and controversialist Christopher Hitchens, where he talked about how he held his first job in media until his \u201ceditor said something to me that made it impossible to go on working for him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The fuller story was fleshed out in a footnote: \u201c\u2019You\u2019re fired\u2019 were the exact words, as I remember them,\u201d Hitchens wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Had that gig been on the weekend desk at MS NOW, those words would have doubtlessly been, \u201cWe thank Christopher for his endless contributions to the network and will have more opportunities to celebrate him in the coming months just as soon as he <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/OutlawsPoetic\/status\/1904254847039217688\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sleeps off this hangover<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Anyhow, having fun with MS NOW for its failures to score a few laughs for its partisan failures does feel a bit supererogatory \u2014 until you realize that that\u2019s pretty much been MS NOW\/MSNBC\u2019s thing since it reinvented itself as the official network of the progressive left.<\/p>\n<p>Two long decades ago, it abandoned all pretense by going all in on hosts like Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow, who dumbed down every major political issue to the point where Republicans and mere liberal Democrats were all a bunch of stupidheads and haha, what a bunch of losers, aren\u2019t we so much smarter?<\/p>\n<p>Olbermann is no longer at the network, but not because his schtick didn\u2019t work with MSNBC\u2019s audience; his firing, as it has been at every outlet unfortunate enough to employ him, had to do with personality issues that beg for some mental health professional to finally make differential diagnosis from the wide swath of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/federal-appeals-court-rules-transgenderism-protected-disability\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DSM-5<\/a> that could potentially cover the former \u201cSportsCenter\u201d anchor\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/keith-olbermann-cancelled-time-finish-article-evil-kirk-comment-will-finish-good\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">employment<\/a> and\/or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/keith-olbermann-calls-u-s-mens-hockey-team-scumbag-misogynists-gold-medal-triumph\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">other<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/keith-olbermanns-unhinged-demand-detainment-elon-musk-backfires\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">personal<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/11\/21\/style\/olivia-nuzzi-ryan-lizza-rfk-jr-affair.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">issues<\/a>. Maddow\u2019s still there, and still trying to milk the lulz from the same old formula.<\/p>\n<p>This is essentially \u201cThe Daily Show\u201d model of journalism, but on a channel masquerading as <em>actual journalism<\/em>. And it worked, until it didn\u2019t, which is part of the reason why the channel is now an independent entity.<\/p>\n<p>The problem is that the demographic uniquely uninformed enough to think this is a model of straight journalism now doesn\u2019t consume news this way. Again from Variety:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>  Younger audiences, in particular, find podcast hosts and digital influencers to be more authentic than traditional TV personnel, and help them understand issues with more depth, according to data from Pew Research. The organization found in 2025 that about 21% of U.S. adults get news from news influencers on social media, with 38% of those between the ages of 18 to 29 doing so regularly \u2014 compared with just 8% of adults 65 or older. Licensing podcasts from a third party or making use of podcasts already being created by current staff can also serve to keep costs down.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The conclusion? \u201cHey, the kids aren\u2019t buying this junk anymore. They like Joe Rogan and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/former-obama-aides-warn-biden-frail-age-real-issue\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Crooked Media pod bros instead<\/a>. Why don\u2019t we just put podcasts on air instead of real news?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019ll work great. What could possibly go wrong taking a format where part of the attraction is the fact that it\u2019s an on-demand product and putting it on air at a fixed time? The people who can\u2019t afford Alex Witt money anymore certainly think this is a great idea, and clearly they\u2019ve got it all under control. Say, I hear Keith Olbermann hosts one of them there podcasts, too! Lose one connection to the past, get one back in return? I wouldn\u2019t count on it \u2014 not because of those employability issues, but because even ol\u2019 Keith knows watching MS NOW is like watching a cancer patient who knows he\u2019s not going to make it.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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The media world is tough, and losing its corporate backing and access to stories means budget cuts are necessary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2621362,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Alex-Witt-leaves-MSNOW.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[81958,36726,61467,50908,81959],"class_list":["post-2621361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-longest-running-anchor","tag-media-transition","tag-ms-now","tag-network-shakeup","tag-podcast-focus"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Alex-Witt-leaves-MSNOW.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2621361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2621361"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2621361\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2621370,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2621361\/revisions\/2621370"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2621362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2621361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2621361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2621361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}