Rebecca Kutler named president of MSNBC

Rebecca Kutler was named the new president of the Comcast-owned progressive cable news channel MSNBC after holding the post on an interim basis.

Mark Lazarus, the Comcast executive leading the proposed spinoff company that will include MSNBC and other cable networks, announced Kutler’s appointment Wednesday.

“In the short time that Rebecca was the interim president, it became clear to me that she has the big-picture strategic view and the right leadership skills to ensure MSNBC delivers on its brand promise and is positioned for growth during a time of industry change,” Lazarus said in a memo to the network’s staff.

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MSNBC ratings collapse postelection, Fox News surges as cable faces an uncertain future

Viewers have fled left-leaning MSNBC since Vice President Kamala Harris lost the general election to former President Trump on Nov. 5. The audience for the Comcast-owned channel is down 46% compared to the first 10 months of 2024.

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MSNBC suffered a dramatic decline in ratings after President Trump was elected to another term in the White House in November. The audience has slowly been returning. The network’s prime-time star Rachel Maddow came back to a nightly program after two years of appearing once a week and for special coverage.

Kutler joined MSNBC in 2022 as senior vice president of content strategy. She stepped into the president’s role after the departure of Rashida Jones last month.

Previously, Kutler spent 12 years at CNN where she oversaw live programming and was involved in the development of the short-lived streaming service CNN+.

Kutler will be charged with leading the network into a future where the pay TV business is shrinking — a key reason Comcast is spinning off MSNBC. While still profitable, MSNBC and other cable outlets dependent on pay TV subscription fees face a murky future as that revenue source declines.