MSNBC has announced interim president Rebecca Kutler will replace Rashida Jones as the network’s permanent leader going forward.
NBCUniversal Chairman Mark Lazarus made the announcement to employees on Wednesday, noting that Kutler separated herself as the key person to lead the organization after her short stint as interim president.
“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,” said Lazarus.
Kutler was named interim president in January as outgoing president Rashida Jones announced she would exit the cable network. Jones had served in the role of President for the past four years but told executives and employees at the outlet the time was right to consider other roles after the network had seen a drop in ratings since the 2024 presidential election in January
Kutler was recently elevated to oversee the network’s dayside programming after previously being charged with leading the network’s digital content and live events.
She joined in 2022 after spending the bulk of her career with CNN. She served as the Senior Vice President and Head of Programming for CNN+ before Warner Bros. Discovery shuttered the streaming platform. Kutler was elevated to that role after previously overseeing the analysts, contributors, and commentators for CNN, which she began in 2015. In total, she spent more than 20 years at CNN before moving to MSNBC as the Senior Vice President of Content Strategy.
The decision by Rashida Jones to exit also coincides with the uncertain future the network has after parent company Comcast announced plans to spin off its cable properties — including CNBC — into a new publicly traded company called SpinCo. Kutler will be tasked with leading the cable channel through that transition and its newfound independence.
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