MS NOW’s Crooked Play
When Comcast announced in late 2024 that it planned to split off MS NOW and the rest of its cable assets, industry observers wondered what moves the progressive news channel might make to reengineer its business for a digital-first future. More than a year later, part of the Rebecca Kutler-led network’s strategy is beginning to come into focus.
At the outlet’s new Times Square offices, leadership has been placing particular emphasis on its podcasting division, especially video-forward shows. On Thursday, the network announced it will launch a new video podcast hosted by Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels focused on the intersection of culture and politics. That adds to the network’s existing portfolio of 20 podcasts and 22 showcasts, including Nicolle Wallace’s “The Best People,” Chris Hayes’ “Why Is This Happening?,” and Rachel Maddow’s “Burn Order.” Wallace’s show, in particular, has proven to be a major online draw, with episodes often amassing hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.
But the network is going much further in its embrace of podcasting. Status has learned that MS NOW is in advanced discussions with Crooked Media to strike a licensing deal that would…
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Matt Murray. (Courtesy of The Washington Post)
Status Scoop | Muted by Murray: On Wednesday, as leadership at The WaPo laid off hundreds of staffers, Executive Editor Matt Murray was also grappling with another thorny issue. The Post’s media desk, which is tasked with covering the news industry, had prepared a pre-written story in anticipation of mass cuts and hoped to publish it once the layoffs became official, multiple people familiar with the matter told Natalie Korach and me. Some editors inside the newsroom…
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