MSNBC Restructuring Impacts Rachel Maddow’s Team as Network-Wide Cuts Result in Joy Reid and Alex Wagner Exits – One America News Network
OAN Staff James Meyers
1:05 PM – Wednesday, February 26, 2025
The left-leaning news outlet MSNBC has notified a significant number of staff members involved with Rachel Maddow’s program that they will be let go as part of the network’s restructuring following the cancellation of other shows, including that of fellow host Joy Reid.
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The employees impacted, who were also part of other canceled shows such as “Alex Wagner Tonight,” have the option to seek new positions within the network or accept a severance package, according to the Guardian.
Nonetheless, Maddow will keep her executive producer, Cory Gnazzo, along with several senior producers, as reported by the Guardian.
In spite of these changes, the network has claimed that this adjustment is not a result of layoffs. They describe it as a reallocation of resources to better align with the network’s priorities.
The employees affected will have priority in applying for new available positions over external candidates.
Simultaneously, this restructuring occurs as the network grapples with significant financial strain, particularly as it is being spun off from its parent company, NBCUniversal.
Various sources have mentioned that the new job offerings will be based in New York, where union-negotiated pay rates are reported to be lower.
Moreover, employees express concerns that accepting new roles could require relocation, complicating their employment status.
Recently, Oliver Darcy’s Status newsletter revealed that a staff member from Reid’s show confronted MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler regarding the situation of the show’s staff.
Kutler purportedly confirmed the layoffs but noted that the affected team members would remain on payroll until April and would receive severance packages.
On Monday night, Maddow voiced her concerns about the network’s recent decisions during a monologue on her show, asserting that the higher-ups acted unjustly in letting Reid go while demoting Wagner, whose mother is Burmese.
“There is no colleague for whom I have had greater affection and respect than Joy Reid,” Maddow stated during her monologue on Monday.
“I cherish everything about her. I have learned a great deal from her. I still have much more to learn from her. I do not want her to leave as a colleague here at MSNBC.”
Maddow continued: “Personally, I believe it is a poor decision to let her walk away. While it’s not my decision to make, that is my belief.”
Additionally, the decision to release members of Maddow’s team arises from the structure of her production staff, which had been shared between her program and Wagner’s.
This arrangement began when Maddow scaled back her on-air appearances to just Mondays, with Wagner taking over from Tuesday through Friday.
Currently, Maddow is scheduled to return to five nights a week for a network special titled ‘First 100 Days of the Trump Administration.’
Starting April 21st, Maddow is set to revert to her once-a-week format, with other 9 p.m. shows Tuesday through Friday being hosted by Jen Psaki, former White House press secretary under Biden.
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