MS NOW is set to expand its weekend podcast programming with an expansion of its relationship with Crooked Media. It will also air some of its own video podcasts.
What We Know: Beginning on Sunday, the network will move away from most live programming after 6 PM ET on weekends. It will end The Weekend: Primetime. Antonia Hylton, one of the hosts of the show, will move to anchoring the 1-4 PM ET block on weekends. Alex Witt, who has been with MS NOW for more than 25 years, will exit the network later this year.
What’s At Stake: MS NOW began airing Crooked Media podcasts in the Saturday primetime window earlier this year. It featured segments from shows like Pod Save America and Runaway Country with Alex Wagner, among others. Now the network will add video podcasts from its own talent, like Nicolle Wallace and Chris Hayes.
What Remains Unclear: What shows will air specifically in which timeslots. MS NOW has yet to announce its upcoming weekend schedule.
What It Means: MS NOW has clearly found value in repurposing the podcast content from Crooked Media onto linear television. It makes plenty of sense for the network to put its own content in those windows, too. It likely isn’t the last time MS NOW expands its podcast slate on lineear TV. Furthermore, the network is just going to be on autopilot should news break. It can fall back on its partnership with Sky News, and will also have anchors at standby should news break during the podcast windows.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
