OAN Staff James Meyers
1:05 PM – Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Left-leaning news network MSNBC has informed a large number of staffers who work on Rachel Maddow’s show that they are being let go, as part of the network’s restructuring after the cancellation of MSNBC talk show host Joy Reid’s program.
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The affected employees, who also worked on the other canned shows, including “Alex Wagner Tonight,” have the option to apply for new positions at the network or accept a severance payout, according to the Guardian.
However, Maddow will retain her executive producer, Cory Gnazzo, along with multiple senior producers, the Guardian stated.
Despite the move, the network has denied that the adjustment was a part of its layoffs. Instead, the change was a reallocation of resources to support the network’s priorities. The affected employees will have priority to apply for the new available positions, compared to external candidates.
Meanwhile, the restructuring comes as the network is facing high financial pressures, which are being spun off from parent company NBCUniversal.
Multiple sources have alluded to the new job postings being based in New York, where union-negotiated hourly pay rates are reportedly lower. Additionally, employees worry that accepting a new position could cause them to relocate, which could complicate their job status as well.
Over the weekend, Oliver Darcy’s Status newsletter reported that a staff member from Reid’s show confronted MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler about the fate of the program’s employees.
According to the report, Kutler confirmed the layoffs, but said that affected employees would remain on the payroll until April — receiving severance packages.
On Monday night, Maddow went on a rant about the network’s recent decisions during a monologue on her show, suggesting that her bosses were racist for getting rid of Reid and demoting Wagner.
“There is no colleague for whom I have had more affection and more respect than Joy Reid,” Maddow said during her Monday monologue.
“I love everything about her. I have learned so much from her. I have so much more to learn from her. I do not want to lose her as a colleague here at MSNBC.”
Maddow continued: “And, personally, I think it is a bad mistake to let her walk out the door. It is not my call, and I understand that.”
“But that’s what I think.”
Furthermore, the decision to part ways with Maddow’s team comes from the structuring of her production staff, which was split between her show and Wagner’s program. This arrangement was established when Maddow reduced her on-air schedule to hosting only on Mondays — while Wagner took over Tuesday through Friday.
Currently, Maddow is back to a five-night-a-week schedule thanks to her new network special, which discusses the first 100 days of the Trump administration.
Starting April 21st, the plan is set for Maddow to resume her once-a-week schedule. The remaining 9 p.m. shows from Tuesday through Friday will then be hosted by Jen Psaki — the former Biden White House press secretary.
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