MSNBC star Rachel Maddow lambasted her own network for parting ways with longtime host Joy Reid and canceling a number of shows anchored by women of color, calling the decision “indefensible” and a “bad mistake.”
Following a series of reports over the weekend that Reid was out at MSNBC amid a programming overhaul, new network president Rebecca Kutler made it official Monday. Besides Reid losing not only her weeknight show but also her job, the liberal cable news channel also dropped programs hosted by Alex Wagner, Katie Phang, and others while rearranging much of the network’s lineup.
Though the new schedule won’t take effect until April, Reid is leaving MSNBC immediately.
At the same time, she was given the opportunity on Monday night to broadcast a farewell episode, which featured Maddow, Nicolle Wallace and Lawrence O’Donnell. In paying tribute to her departing colleague, Maddow told Reid that she loved her and was “bereft that The ReidOut is ending,” while Wallace described it as “losing a limb.”
Roughly 90 minutes later, Maddow took a “point of personal privilege” during her show to address the “changes that have been announced at MSNBC over the last couple of days.” Noting that she would go back to just hosting on Monday nights after Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office is complete, adding that this was always the original plan, Maddow pointed out that Wagner would not be returning to anchor the 9 p.m. ET slot on Tuesday-Friday. Instead, former White House press secretary Jen Psaki – who had been hosting on Monday nights and Sunday afternoons – would take over that role.
“So that’s a big change,” Maddow told viewers. “An even bigger programming change is at 7 p.m. Eastern, where Joy Reid’s show The Reidout ended tonight. And Joy is not taking a different job in the network. She is leaving the network altogether, and that is very, very, very hard to take.”
Stating that there has been “no colleague for whom I have had more affection and more respect than Joy Reid,” Maddow then directed her ire at MSNBC’s leadership for canceling Reid’s weeknight show.
“I love everything about her. I have learned so much from her,” he declared. “I have so much more to learn from her. I do not want to lose her as a colleague here at MSNBC, 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.”
Maddow also took aim at the network for discontinuing several shows that were hosted by minorities, specifically in primetime. While Wagner is being replaced by Psaki, who is white, the new panel program that will take over Reid’s time slot is hosted by Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele and Alicia Menendez – all people of color.
“I will tell you. It is also unnerving to see that on a network where we’ve got two – count them – two nonwhite hosts in primetime, both of our nonwhite hosts in primetime are losing their shows, as is Katie Phang on the weekend,” she said. “And that feels worse than bad, no matter who replaces them. That feels indefensible. And I do not defend it.”
While Reid is leaving the network, both Phang and Wagner will remain at MSNBC as the network’s legal correspondent and senior political analyst, respectively. Also, Phang’s show was largely impacted by the network’s decision to no longer broadcast from Miami, where her program was based. On top of that, sources tell The Independent that MSNBC is in discussions with Politico’s Eugene Daniels to host a program, suggesting the network will continue to feature a diverse lineup across its programming schedule.
At the same time. Maddow had nothing but compliments for those who are taking on new on-air roles at the network, saying “everybody who’s going to be in anchor chairs from here on out are great colleagues and great at what they do.” Still, she was highly critical of the way the production staff was “being put through the wringer” by management.
“Dozens of producers and staffers – including some who are among the most experienced and most talented and most specialist producers in the building – are facing being laid off,” she proclaimed. “They’re being invited to reapply for new jobs. That has never happened at this scale in this way before when it comes to programming changes, presumably because it’s not the right way to treat people. And it’s inefficient and it’s unnecessary, and it kind of drops the bottom out of whether or not people feel like this is a good place to work.”
A network source familiar with the situation, however, told The Independent that the layoffs aren’t widespread and they are just attempting to reallocate personnel needed to support new programs. Additionally, the source noted that there’s nearly a one-to-one ratio of jobs impacted to new opportunities to reapply for and that these jobs will not be posted externally until all internal employees have had a chance to apply. The source also stressed that even more job opportunities will be opened in the coming months.
This is far from the first time that Maddow has chastised her employer on air for decisions she disagrees with. When NBC News briefly hired former Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel as a political analyst, Maddow called the hiring “inexplicable” and akin to a district attorney hiring a “mobster.”
The network eventually reversed course and dropped McDaniel amid the on-air revolt.
Maddow also called out the network last March for airing Trump’s victory speech after his Super Tuesday primary victory, claiming it was “irresponsible to broadcast” the future president’s remarks since it was “allowing somebody to knowingly lie on your air.”
