• MSNBC has officially rebranded as “My Source News Opinion World,” abbreviated as MS NOW, after its NBC spinoff.
• The cable channel is shedding its NBC branding, including the iconic peacock, to assert full independence.
• Executives say the rebrand will not change the network’s editorial direction, only its identity.

NEW YORK, N.Y. (TDR) — After nearly three decades under its familiar banner, MSNBC is no more. The 24-hour cable channel will now operate under the name My Source News Opinion World — abbreviated MS NOW — in a dramatic rebrand tied to its corporate spinoff from NBCUniversal.

The decision was announced Monday in a press release, marking the end of MSNBC’s shared branding with its former corporate parent. The change was not merely cosmetic: NBCUniversal executives determined that it was untenable for the company’s broadcast news division to compete with a spinoff network bearing such a similar name.

Cutting Ties with NBC

Mark Lazarus, CEO of Versant — the new parent company of MSNBC and CNBC — explained the rationale in a staff memo. “During this time of transition, NBCUniversal decided that our brands require a new, separate identity. This decision now allows us to set our own course and assert our independence as we continue to build our own modern newsgathering operation.”

The change also extends to NBC’s peacock logo, which Versant executives confirmed will not be carried over to MS NOW. “The future of our success is not tied to remaining within the NBC family and using the peacock as part of our identity,” Lazarus said.

What Stays and What Goes

While MSNBC will shed both its acronym and logo, CNBC will retain its long-standing name, reportedly due to contractual obligations. However, the network will also adopt a redesigned logo in the coming months, free of the NBC peacock.

Reassuring Viewers

In a separate memo, Rebecca Kutler, President of MSNBC, sought to reassure employees and audiences that the change is branding-only. “While our name will be changing, who we are and what we do will not. Our commitment to our work and our audiences will not waiver from what the brand promise has been for three decades.”

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10

She also teased a forthcoming promotional blitz designed to showcase MS NOW’s new identity. “This campaign will be unlike anything we have done in recent memory.”

For loyal viewers, the channel promises continuity in editorial tone even as it leaves behind a name synonymous with cable news for nearly 30 years.

Will MS NOW’s new identity cement its independence, or weaken a brand that has thrived on its NBC connection?

Follow The Wayne Dupree Show on YouTube

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10