Most of MSNBC star Rachel Maddow’s production staff, along with workers who supported Joy Reid’s show and other canceled programs, will lose their jobs amid major changes in the network’s lineup.
A significant number of these staff members worked across both The Rachel Maddow Show and Alex Wagner Tonight. They helped when Maddow only hosted on Monday nights, and Wagner filled in for the rest of the week. These staffers were told they would be let go after Wagner’s show was canceled, The Guardian reported Tuesday, citing multiple sources.
While Maddow, the network’s top-rated host, will keep her executive producer, Cory Gnazzo, and a few senior staffers, most of her team will be laid off. They’ll have the option to apply for new positions within MSNBC, which is opening over 100 new jobs as part of the programming changes.
Most of the staff losing their jobs worked on shows that were recently canceled, like those hosted by Reid, Katie Phang, Jonathan Capehart, Ayman Mohyeldin, and Jose Diaz-Balart. These employees were told they could either accept severance or apply for other positions within the company.
A network source clarified that while the changes are significant, they’re not causing “widespread layoffs.” Instead, MSNBC is reallocating staff to support new programs and priorities. The source mentioned that for every job affected, a new one will open. New job listings will be available soon, and internal candidates will get the first chance to apply.
Maddow acknowledged on her show that these changes are unprecedented at MSNBC, which is being spun off from NBCUniversal into a new company, SpinCo.
In a tense meeting with Reid’s show staff, new MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler confirmed that The ReidOut would be canceled immediately, and the team would be affected. These staffers will stay on until April 21, when the new lineup starts. Reid’s show will be replaced by a panel show with Michael Steele, Symone Sanders Townsend, and Alicia Menendez, who currently anchor The Weekend.
After appearing on Reid’s final broadcast, Maddow took a moment on her own show to criticize the network for letting Reid go and the way the company is treating the affected staff.
“I love everything about her. I have learned so much from her,” Maddow said about Reid. “I have so much more to learn from her. I do not want to lose her as a colleague here at MSNBC, and personally, I think it is a bad mistake to let her walk out the door.”
Maddow also expressed concerns over how the network had canceled several programs hosted by people of color, calling it “unnerving” and “indefensible.” However, Maddow seemed most upset by how the production staff was being treated, saying they were “being put through the wringer.” She expressed concern for her colleagues, particularly those who are among the most experienced and talented producers.
“Dozens of producers and staffers… are facing being laid off. They’re being invited to reapply for new jobs,” she said. “That has never happened at this scale in this way before… it’s inefficient and unnecessary, and it kind of drops the bottom out of whether or not people feel like this is a good place to work.”
